Rose Evans
by Sue-Drae
Summary: ON HIATUS Prequel to Rose Lupin PoA READ THAT PLEASE What if Lily had a twin sister? The story of Rose Evans and her own journey through Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. LE/JP, Remus/OC, Sirius/OC
1. A Day at the Playground

"Lily, don't do it!" my older sister shrieked at the top of her lungs. I laughed, watching from a distance as Lily released her hold on the swing, soaring in a gentle arc towards the ground. She landed easily on the balls of her feet, laughing airily. Petunia slowed her swing to a halt, her face already settled into an angry grimace.

"Mummy told you not to!" She marched up to Lily, nearly growling. "Mummy said you weren't allowe, Lily!"

"But I'm fine," Lily smiled brightly, laughing. She grabbed Petunia's wrist, pulling her closer. "Look at this, Tuney; watch what I can do."

Petunia glanced around the playground, checking to make sure no one would see our sister's abilities. Her eyes met mine and she jumped. I laughed, standing up from the grass. I closed my sketchbook, the image of Lily somersaulting through the sky detailed in pen disappearing behind the cover. I walked up to my sisters, ignoring the presence of Severus. I had known he had been watching us, my twin especially.

I glanced into the bushes where he was hiding before skipping to meet my sisters. Petunia looked almost afraid of what our sister was going to do; somewhere between fear, curiosity, and disapproval. I grinned as Lily picked up a fallen flower, holding it in her palm as it opened and closed in quick succession. Curious, I picked up another flower, holding it in my hand as well. The blossom obeyed, blooming and closing in seconds. Petunia jumped back.

"Stop that!" she shrieked. Lily and I laughed in unison. My twin closed her hand around the blossom before throwing it away. I kept the flower in my palm but stopped the movement.

"It isn't hurting you," Lily said, glancing at the flower in my open hand.

"It's not right," Petunia countered. I noticed a flash of envy in her dark eyes as she studied the blossom in my palm. "How did you do it?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Severus Snape jumped out of the bushes, glancing with undisguised disgust at my older sister before softening his glance at Lily.

Petunia screamed, stumbling backwards. Lily looked a little surprised at his entrance but curious enough to want to know why he was there. I held my ground, rolling my eyes at my sisters as I glanced at Severus.

"Stalking a girl doesn't mean she'll go out with you," I whispered to him. Severus' cheeks flushed and I grinned. "Anyway, what's so obvious?" I asked pointedly.

"I know what you are…. You're a witch," he smiled, nodding at both me and my twin. Lily looked affronted at the statement.

"That's not a nice thing to call someone!" she shouted, grabbing Petunia's wrist and pulling her towards the swings again. I sighed at my sister, and Snape when he left to defend himself.

"That isn't what I meant! I've been watching you for a while now; you're a witch. There's nothing wrong with that; my mum's a witch, and I'm a wizard!" I bit my lip at the wording, trying not to remark seeing how much he cared for my sister. Petunia had no such inhibitions.

"Wizard!" she cackled. I grimaced at her near insanity. "I know who _you _are! You're that Snape boy. They live down Spinner's End by the river," she informed Lily snidely. "Why have you been spying on us?" she asked warily as I walked over to the swing sets. I smiled at Severus.

"Let's pause for a moment," I rolled my eyes at Petunia. "So you've been hiding in the bushes watching Lily and I because _apparently _we're witches." Severus looked at me, a glimmer of hope in his dark eyes that maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't finish with an insult or snide remark.

"Yes," he said, almost asking if that was how he was supposed to respond. With a moment's hesitation, he turned to glare at Petunia. "Wouldn't spy on _you_ anyway; you're just a Muggle."

None of us knew what that was supposed to mean, but it was obviously meant to be an insult. Petunia flared angrily.

"Lily, Rose, we're leaving," she announced, grabbing our wrists. Lily looked at the ground defeated. I pulled my arm loose.

"I'll catch up," I assured them. Petunia narrowed her eyes but left with Lily in tow. Severus looked back at me confused.

"Why didn't you leave with Lily?" he asked, probably not knowing our sister's name. I shrugged.

"Because Mum thinks I spend too much time inside," I mumbled, my hand tightening around my sketchbook. Severus noticed the movement, following my arm down to my book.

"You draw?"

"A little… What did you mean, when you said you were a wizard?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. I felt my eyes shifted around the playground, making sure no one would hear what I was saying. Severus smiled genuinely at my question. I sat down in the grass, motioning for him to do the same.

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><p>AN:

For now, this story doesn't have any really big dreams right now. I'll write up another chapter if I get two review- AT LEAST, *hint hint*

I'm not sure if there are a lot of Lily-twin fics out there, I've read a lot where James has a twin *shrug* This story was actually inspired by one of my friend's (berkeley292) stories, School Days. She only has the first chapter done but I'm hoping that she'll continue with it.

I haven't been writing/reading HP fics for a while so I apologize if anything is wildly OOC. I can guarantee that the first few chapters will be based loosely off of *spoilers* the memories Harry gets from Snape when the latter dies in Deathly Hallows. After that, it'll be of my own creation.

Hope you enjoyed it so far!

^.^ Susie ^.^


	2. Clashing Siblings

A/N:

Here it is: Chapter two! I asked for two reviews and got them, thanks to UndertakerLover and Lady Elizabeth of New York. Thank you two, I love you guys X3.

Anyway, onto the story!

I do not own any part of Harry Potter, it's characters, the spells used, or a Marauder's Map. I do have a time turner on my Christmas list though ^.^

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><p>"I'm home!" I shouted, dropping my backpack onto the bench close to the front door. Lily peeked her head out from behind the kitchen door, grinning at me past the auburn veil that was her hair. I brushed my own hair out of my face, smiling back at my sister.<p>

"Where have you been?" she laughed, stepping out of the door, flanked by Petunia. I held back a grimace at our older sister. I shook my head, smiling, as I reached out and grabbed Lily's wrist, pulling her up the stairs to the room we shared.

"I was talking to Sev; he isn't really that bad," I shrugged, closing the door behind us. I pulled her to our bunk beds, sitting beside her on her bed, the lower one. "He wasn't being a jerk when he called us witches." Lily raised an eyebrow at the nickname and I rolled my eyes. "Well, we can't call him Severus every time we see him, it's too long."

"What do you mean, 'every time we see him'?" Lily pouted. I giggled at her reluctance to see the boy.

"We're _both _going back to the playground tomorrow to talk to him," I informed him.

"But Tuney was going to the store with Mum to get ready for school," Lily protested. I grinned, nodding.

"Exactly," I rolled my eyes. "Petunia is a Muggle. That's what witches and wizards call non-magical people, apparently. Besides, she doesn't like it when we do magic, if she knows that we're going to talk to Sev tomorrow she'll try to tag along and spy on us."

"But-" Lily began to protest. I shushed her, listening as the floorboards outside the door creaked. I covered my sister's mouth with a hand, holding my index finger to my lips. A shadow moved across the bottom of the door and the knob turned to reveal our nosy older sister.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked, crossing my arms. Petunia looked at me smiling. It wasn't a nice smile; it was condescending, like 'one of these days you'll realize that I'm in charge'.

"Mum says to wash up; supper's on the table," she informed us, sounding awfully self-important. I frowned as Lily nodded, standing from her bed. That was the one thing I didn't always like about my sister: she was too obedient. Of course I knew when I should listen to people, like when Mum told me to not going skating on the thin ice or when Petunia told me to stay away from Jeremy Stone, the meanest bully in school. Lily listened every time she was asked for both little and big things. I was slowly breaking her out of that but she needed to finish growing her backbone.

"I'll be down in a minute, I need to check on something," I said, nodding for my sisters to leave. Petunia scoffed, turning on her heel and vanished down the stairs. Lily looked at me questioningly but I shook my head, waving her towards the door.

When they were gone, I crept to my bed just as I heard a peck on the small window next to my pillow. I smiled, opening the window and letting the owl inside.

~Flashback~

I walked in between the trees, sketchbook in hand as I searched for my next target. I was determined to find something more impressive than a tree to draw; maybe I'd get lucky and find a deer or two by the stream.

I ducked under a branch just as I noticed a shadow above me. I turned my eyes skywards, looking for the shadow. My eyes found a barred owl, her eyes focused as she flew silently through the trees. I smiled at the raptor a little confused as to why the nocturnal hunter was awake at this time of day, my pencil already moving across the page. I watched as she twitched, her head moving to my location. The moment of distraction brought with it a strong gust of wind, just enough to knock her off course. The owl tried to regain control, failing when her right wing clipped a tree branch. She tried to land but fell to the ground in a flurry of movement.

I wasn't sure how to react at first. I stood, frozen, for just a moment, my pencil still on the paper. Coming to my senses- at least some of them- the book fell out of my hands and crashed to the ground as I walked cautiously to the owl. She got to her feet, flapping her wings a little awkwardly. I knelt close to her, my right hand slowly going towards her.

The barred owl studied my hand, not quite sure what I was going to do. I sat motionless as the owl's eyes took me in. I held my breath as she glanced back at my hand, taking a slow step towards me.

I smiled quietly when she gently pushed his head into my open palm. I inched closer to her slowly, stopping when she tensed and continuing when she relaxed. Eventually, she ended up perched on my leg as I sat cross legged on the ground. She thrilled happily and I smiled at the owl.

"I think I'll call you Olwyn," I smiled at the owl. She hooted, hopefully in approval, and flew off of my knee, alighting on a nearby branch. When I stood to leave, she watched me carefully. I smiled at her and began walking back. Each time I got more than a few feet away from her, Olwyn would fly to different branches to catch up with me, taking to the air and slowly following me back home.

~End Flashback~

Olwyn has been visiting fairly consistently, every day sometime before dinner. I made it a habit to be in my room in that time range, something that didn't go unnoticed by Mum. She didn't know about Olwyn yet, neither did Lily or Petunia.

I smiled at the barred owl as she pushed her head into my hand. I scratched her head lightly and she grumbled happily. I heard Mum shout for me and the owl looked at me a little disappointed when I opened the window again.

"I need to go for now," I said sadly. "I'll see you later; okay, Olwyn?" The owl hooted lowly in response before leaning out of the window, her wings opening to catch an updraft.

"Rose, hurry up!" Petunia's voice rang up the stairs. I heard her run into the kitchen and start talking loudly about the fancy school she was going to this semester.

Instead of responding- I didn't trust my voice not to instigate- I stretched and jumped down from my bed, alighting just as easily as Lily had earlier off of the swing. I took a single glance at the room I shared with Lily before shutting the door and sliding down the banister. I sighed as Petunia, watching from the kitchen door, reported my entrance.

"Mummy told you not to slide down like that! It's dangerous," she scolded me. I stuck my tongue out at her, my back to my parents. Lily laughed easily, drying off her hands at the sink. I stepped beside her, washing my hands before sitting down at the table, across from Petunia.

"So what did you do today, girls?" Mum asked, her green eyes smiling. I exchanged a glance with Lily and Petunia grinned triumphantly.

"They were doing it again," she tattletaled. "And someone saw it this time!"

"It wasn't a big deal, Tuney," Lily said quietly. I jumped into the conversation.

"He already knew about us," I said, glancing pointedly at Lily. "It was Severus Snape, the boy that lives down by Spinner's End?" I asked, looking for confirmation. My parents nodded.

"That family was always a little odd," my dad remarked. Mum stared pointedly and he quieted.

"Anyway, Sev said that he and his mum are like Lily and me," I continued. "His dad's a Muggle." Petunia grimaced at the term and I started over. "I mean… Muggles are what we call non-magical people."

"Who is this we?" my dad asked, picking up his usual coffee. I bit my lip.

"The people who can use magic: witches and wizards," I said quietly. Petunia scoffed and I saw Lily blush. "Well, think about it. Lily and I can do things that other people can't do, it makes sense to think that there are more people like us."

"Yes, more freaks in the world. Just what I needed," Petunia grumbled into her food. I glared at her.

"We aren't freaks. We're different. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing," I countered, defending Lily. My sister was staring at her plate, pushing the food around with her fork.

Petunia only scoffed, turning to her food. I followed suit with a final glare at my older sister. I could feel our parents exchanging glances before they began to eat. Not another word was spent on the subject.

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><p>Lily, Sev, and I sat in a loose triangle in the thicket. The sun was just starting to set, the light drifting in between the trees. I sat quietly, sketching while Lily and Sev, his coat tossed away, talked about Hogwarts and the Wizarding World.<p>

"The Ministry can punish you if you do magic outside of school. You'll get a letter," Sev nodded. Lily frowned.

"But I've done magic outside of school!"

"We're all right. We haven't got wands yet. They let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it. But once you're eleven," he paused, letting it sink in, "and they start training you, then you've got to be careful.

Lily fell silent. I glanced up at her to see her twirling a twig around in her hand. I had no problem imagining sparks flying from the tip, just like Lily was. Then she dropped it, the twig falling back to the ground as she leaned back towards us.

"It _is _real, isn't it? It's not a joke? Petunia says you're lying to us, that there isn't a Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is real, isn't it?"

"It's real for us," he answered, gesturing to our small triangle. "It isn't for her, though. We'll get our letters, all three of us."

"Really?" she asked, smiling almost despite herself.

"Definitely," he confirmed, nodding. "It would usually come by owl but you're Muggle-born so someone from the school will probably come and explain everything to your parents." My pencil broke at the word 'owl' and I looked up at him.

"Owl?" I asked, looking for confirmation. Sev nodded looking a little confused. I shook my head, bringing my hand to my lips and releasing a shrill whistle. A moment passed and the familiar shadow flew out of the trees. Olwyn landed beside me, chuffing. Sev leaned back slightly and Lily jumped.

"You have an owl?" Sev said, his eyes slightly wide. I nodded as Olwyn pushed her head into my hand again.

"Her name is Olwyn," I responded, glancing at Lily. "I wanted to tell you, I just didn't know… how."

"Olwyn?" Lily whispered. The owl straightened, her head turning until she met my sister's green eyes. The barred owl cocked her head to one side before hopping to my sister's side, studying her. Approving, Olwyn nodded and pushed her head into my sister's palm.

"She wants you to scratch the back of her head," I hinted, recognizing the pushy owl's attitude.

"Hey, Sev… Does it make a difference if you're Muggle-born?" Lily asked nervously. I bit my lip, trying not to smile as he studied her face.

"No; it doesn't make any difference," he promised. My sister sighed happily, relaxing as the hidden tension left her face. Lily stretched out and I sighed, only halfway done.

"Way to ruin it, Lil," I frowned, turning the book so they could see my sketch. It showed Lily and Sev, lounging on the grass with contented smiles on their faces. I grinned when Sev fought a blush. Lily smiled at the picture.

"One of your best," she complimented. I rolled my eyes, turning back to Sev.

"How are things at your house?" I asked, trying not to sound wary. I had met his parents for a matter of seconds once when I walked Sev home once. It was long enough for me to know that they never let a reason to fight escape. I made sure Lily, who was not with me, stayed away from them if I could help it. Sev agreed, a little embarrassed for his parents but proud enough to keep Lily from them.

"Fine," he mumbled, picking up a leaf and shredding it mercilessly. Lily sat up on her elbows, a glimmer of hope in her emerald eyes, almost exactly like my own. The only real difference between our eyes was the mischievous glint that never left my eyes and hardly ever entered Lily's.

"They aren't arguing anymore?" She knew of the situation even if she had never met Eileen Snape and her Muggle husband.

"Oh, they're arguing," Sev shook his head. "But it won't be that long and I'll be gone," he shrugged, shredding the leaves. Minutes passed quietly. I began a new sketch of Olwyn, who complied and posed for me. She stood, her wings spread to show their full length while I pushed pencil to paper.

"Severus?" Lily asked carefully. I glanced up in time to see Sev smile when she said his name. I rolled my eyes, returning to my work.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about the dementors again," she said quietly. Both Sev and I looked up at her in surprise.

"What d'you want to know about them for?"

"If I use magic outside of school-"

"They wouldn't send you to the dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too-"

"Gentle," I offered. Lily flashed a smile before leaning back on the grass. I heard a movement behind me, too big to be a bird or squirrel. I turned my head slightly, watching with my peripheral vision as Petunia stumbled away from a tree. I groaned, knowing how she'd react: embarrassed and then insulting.

"Tuney!" Lily smiled at our sister. I grimaced, my expression mirrored by Sev as he jumped to his feet.

"What are you doing here? Spying on us?" he accused. Petunia scoffed, thinking quickly. I knew that expression, she was looking for something insulting to say.

"What are you wearing, your mum's blouse?" she sneered. I saw Snape redden with both anger and humiliation. A creaking noise was heard and the branch above Petunia came crashing down, clipping my sister's shoulder. Instinctively, I ran to her when she started crying, soon to be flanked by Lily as I tried to calm her down.

Petunia refused to be calmed, shaking her head hysterically before running in the direction of our house. Lily spun around to Severus.

"Did you make that happen?" she accused. Sev's expression turned unsure and defiant as he took a careful step back.

"No," he exclaimed. I saw through the lie, as did Lily.

"You did!" she screamed, backing away from him. I sighed; the one time Lily finally sticks up for herself and it is to defend Petunia. Of course. "You_ did, _you hurt her!"

"No- no I didn't!" It was too late; Lily had already ran to catch up with our sister. I bit back a sigh, watching her leave.

"I'll talk to her," I nodded, knowing the unpredictability that came with untrained magic. Just because Sev had wanted her to leave didn't mean that he wanted Petunia to be hurt. "I'll calm her down."

"I don't deserve it," he grimaced, staring at the ground. I shrugged.

"I guess I'm just amazing than," I grinned easily. "Relax, there's still time before the semester starts; you two will have made up before we get on the Hogwarts Express," I promised. Sev nodded, turning his eyes back to the trees as I whistled and ran, tracing my siblings' path home.

A/N:

One more chapter done! Now I want another _three _reviews (I know you can do it seeing as 26 people have read the first... Yeah, I'm pointing my finger at the twenty four who didn't except for the two people who put this story in their favorites or followed list).

I already have the third chapter written up (say hello to one James Potter, btw :D), all I'm waiting on is three reviews. Sooooooo, click the little button and start typing! Yes, you!

^.^ Susie ^.^


	3. Platform Nine and Three Quarters

I stared at the brick wall. Olwyn, now in a cage on top of my trunk, thrilled unhappily. I smiled at the barred owl before returning attention to the wall standing in between platforms nine and ten. I looked at Sev, standing with his mum a few feet away.

"Are you sure about this?" Snape rolled his eyes.

"Of course I'm sure," he nodded. I glanced back at my family. Petunia was ignoring Lily as my twin begged her to listen. Sev's eyes softened just a little before he decided to glare at my older sister. I shook my head, motioning towards the wall.

"Well, let's do this," I nodded, sounding more sure than I felt. . Sev's mum spared him a glance before walking straight through the wall, disappearing into the brick. He nodded and tightened his hold on his trolley. I did the same, following the boy through the wall.

Platform Nine and Three Quarters. It was amazing. The scarlet Hogwarts Express stood at a stop, surrounded by hundreds of people. I saw old friends reuniting, parents saying goodbye for another semester, and new first years like myself looking out of place and just a little intimidated by the view. Diagon Alley was one thing, now we were going to _Hogwarts_.

I couldn't help but smile as I studied the scene around me. It was alive with people and animals as students loaded cats, rats, and owls onto the train. _I'd like to draw this some day._

My smile vanished when I glanced back at my family, only now stepping through the wall. Petunia was still ignoring Lily, who was still trying to talk to our sister. Our parents weren't doing anything, focusing all of their attention on the people and things around them. I moved closer to my sisters, trying to hear what they said.

"… I'm sorry, Tuney, I'm sorry! Listen-" Lily grabbed Petunia's hand, gripping it tightly as she tried to pull away. "Maybe once I'm there- no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!"

"I don't- want- to- go!" shouted Petunia. She angrily wrenched her hand out of Lily's grasp. "You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a- a-" her eyes roamed the platform, her features once again forming that desperately insulting look. Cat's mewed in their owners' arms, trying to be heard of the owls fluttering and hooting to each other inside their cages. Students, some already in their black school robes, began loading trunks onto the steam engine or greeting their old friends, meeting new people. Petunia's eyes zeroed in on everything out of her norm and she smirked angrily.

"You think I want to be a- a freak?" Lily's eyes filled with tears and I felt anger rise up inside me. I took a step towards my sister, deliberately giving her time to apologize. I should have known better.

"That's where you're going," Petunia sneered. "A special school for freaks. You, Rose, and that Snape boy… weirdos, all of you. It's good you're being separated from normal people. It's for our own safety." I snapped as Lily glanced desperately towards our parents, still busying admiring the platform. I took another step forward, nose to nose with Petunia.

"You didn't think it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you." Petunia turned as red as the train.

"Beg? I didn't beg!"

"I saw his reply. It was very kind," Lily commented quietly. Petunia rounded on her.

"You shouldn't have read-" she whispered angrily, "that was my private- how could you-?"

Lily glanced, perhaps subconsciously, towards Sev. Petunia turned, following her eyes until she saw the boy.

"That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!" she screamed, outraged. Lily got defensive.

"No- not sneaking-" Lily began. I coughed.

"Actually, I was sneaking," I added quietly. Lily glared weakly at me before turning back to our sister.

"Severus saw the envelop, and he couldn't believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that's all! He says there must be wizards working undercover in the postal service who take care of-"

"Apparently wizards stick their noses in everything!" Petunia now paled, her redness fading away as she prepared what would be her final insult. "_Freak_!" she spat at Lily before striding to our parents, demanding to be taken home. I walked closer to Lily, putting an arm around her shoulder and hugging her to my side. She smiled at the contact and Olwyn hooted jealously.

"Let's go find Sev, okay?" I asked, smiling gently. Lily sniffed, rubbing her sleeve across her eyes before nodding. I interlocked our arms, somehow staying together as we pushed through the crowd towards the Hogwarts Express, trying not to be rude to anyone we passed.

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><p>I sat down tiredly across from my sister. She was still fighting tears from her encounter with Petunia but I was too busy studying the other people in our compartment to notice much. There were two other people sitting in the compartment, both with messy black hair. The first seemed, from a single glance, to feel like he owned the train even though, from his looks, I doubted he was much older than I was. To his left was another boy looking rather less pampered than the first. He seemed a little tired but happy that he was on his way to Hogwarts. I guessed he was about our age too.<p>

Sev slid the compartment door open, looking for us. His eyes found Lily, her face pressed against the glass as the train moved through the countryside. She spared him a glance before returning to the window.

"I don't want to talk to you," she said tightly. Sev took a step towards her.

"Why not?"

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what?" Even I couldn't help but glare at him. Petunia might be a bullying know-it-all, but she was still our sister.

"So what! She's my sister!" Lily shouted at the glass.

"But she's only a-" he didn't finish his sentence. Wise, seeing as how I was in the room. I began to ignore them, turning my attention to the two in front of me.

"My name is Rose Evans," I smiled, holding out my hand. The first boy reached out, shaking my hand.

"James Potter, future Gryffindor," he grinned confidently. Sev scoffed. "What's your problem, Snape?"

"We'll if you'd rather be brawny than brainy," he shrugged. Potter narrowed his eyes.

"Where do you plan on going, seeing as you're neither?" he smirked. "Anyway, Lily, you'd better be in Slytherin." Now it was James' turn to laugh.

"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" he asked the boy sitting next to him. He shrugged.

"My whole family has been in Slytherin," he said. James' eyes widened slightly.

"Blimey, and I thought you seemed all right!" he grinned.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition," he smiled in return before glancing back at me. "What was your name again?"

"Rose. Rose Evans. She" I said, pointing at my sister, "is my sister, Lily."

"Sirius Black," he held out his hand. I smiled, accepting it. Lily studied the expression on Sev's face before standing, glancing at Sirius and James with dislike.

"Come on, Severus, let's go find another compartment. Rose?" she looked at me.

"I'll be fine here," I said, ignoring the imitations of my sister originating from James Potter, future Gryffindor. When the door slid closed, I stood easily and punched him in the shoulder, hard. He yelped.

"What the bloody hell was that for!" he shouted. I smiled sweetly.

"That was for being a jerk to my sister and my friend. Lily will let you push her around, I won't. Mess with her and you mess with me. Got it?" I smiled. James gulped, nodding. Sirius laughed quietly.

"Gotta love Hogwarts," he chuckled. I smiled back, knowing that I'd start the year with at least two friends.

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><p>AN:

Contrary to what my amazing Potterhead of a friend, berkeley292, believes, Rose will not be getting together with Severus at any point in time. Sorry if you wanted that, I can see how someone might have assumed that so far. Rose is definitely going to side with James and his friends starting with day one. She is still friends with Snape but their relationship is more strained than his friendship with Lily because Rose can see how he's changing and adapting into Slytherin house. Lily is still too innocent (or naive) to see him for what he started to become and turns a blind eye to it, much like in the original books where she doesn't stop trying to be friends until their sixth year (I think).

Anyway, sorry for not updating when I said I would. I haven't been on fanfiction in _FOREVER!_ I've been really busy getting ready for the school year, mainly at band camp. We're doing drills, 9-4 in the hot sun in the middle of a practice field with very few water breaks. Add colorguard choreography and you get one very very very tired fanfic author x.X

I'll update either tomorrow or Friday, it depends on how thoroughly I can edit, meaning how tired I am tomorrow night.

For anybody who just happens to be reading my other fanfic, A Chance to Change (unlikely, seeing as it is a Naruto fanfic), I sincerely apologize. I promised a chapter a day and am about three days behind, on top of today's. I'm updating as soon as I finish this A/N.

Till... Whenever *shrug*

^.^ Susie ^.^


	4. The Sorting

A/N:

This is a crazy short chapter, I admit it. That, and because I haven't updated in over a week, I'm going to update twice.

Not owning Harry Potter. Might be getting a Time-turner for Christmas, though ^.^

* * *

><p>I stood, flanked by Sirius and Lily as I watched Professor Minerva McGonagall lift an old hat for all of us to see.<p>

"Here at Hogwarts, you shall be sorted into one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin," she stated. Cheers and shouts came from each table as their house was named, the loudest from Gryffindor. Professor McGonagall continued her speech, completely losing my interest. Instead of the woman in front of me, I watched Sirius and James as they whispered with each other, talking about some of the other students. I heard something about a boy named Remus and another named Peter or something like that before the professor began calling names. She made her way down the list and I held my breath when my sister's name was called.

"Evans, Lily!" McGonagall called. I gave Lily a confident smile and she nodded, stepping up toward the stool. She sat and McGonagall lowered the Sorting Hat onto her auburn hair. Hardly a second went by when the Sorting Hat opened its mouth, shouting, _"Gryffindor!"_

She smiled sadly at Sev, who groaned at the house. Lily took the hat off of her head and hurried towards the Gryffindor table. I saw Sirius shift aside to make room for her, trying to be polite- probably because of me- but Lily turned away from him, crossing her arms. I bit my lip at the next name, my own.

"Evans, Rose!" McGonagall shouted. I nodded, smiling at James before stepping up to the stool. I sat down and the professor put the hat on my head. I felt it talking to me.

"_Hmm… You're a tricky one, girl… Smart, but too brave to be in Ravenclaw… Slytherin wouldn't accept you as a Muggle-born and you aren't malicious… Too extraordinary for Hufflepuff_," he mused, shifting through my head. "_What's this? You want to be with your sister? Well, that makes everything much simpler… _Gryffindor!" he announced. The table clapped and Sev frowned, already losing both of his friends.

Eventually, there were only a dozen students to be sorted, Severus included. McGonagall called his name and he stepped up to the stool. He sat nervously, playing with his hands as the Sorting Hat was placed onto his head.

"Slytherin!" he announced. Sev dropped the hat back in McGonagall's care before moving towards the Slytherin table, still clapping. I watched as a blond boy, a few years older than us with a blade gleaming on his chest, patted Snape on the back as he sat down beside him.

"Potter, James!" McGonagall called. James sat with much less anxiety. The hat had barely touched his head before he made his decision.

"Gryffindor!"

I clapped with Sirius and the other Gryffindors as James grinned and jumped down to the table, sitting opposite Sirius, next to me. Lily grimaced at him, her eyes getting confused when I began to talk with him, congratulating him for making Gryffindor.

* * *

><p>AN:

_"Gryffindor!"_

I love HP. So much. J.K. Rowling is responsible for my childhood. Not kidding, I was devastated when I didn't receive my acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, my obsession doesn't make me a fountain of awesomeness. Soooo, I'm getting the word out: I need prank ideas for the Marauders. I don't care if you've used it, if you've read it on the internet, or whatever. Make it good and it'll make it's way into the story, guaranteed.

Again, I'm updating this twice today because I totally owe you guys it.

Ja ne

^.^ Susie ^.^


	5. The Marauders Begin

A/N:

Accio second update! *potterheading*

If you haven't already, make sure you read chapter _FOUR_. This is the second update today, meaning that this will be the one you see first if you aren't careful.

That said, enjoy the story! This chapter is longer, I swear.

* * *

><p>I stared at my schedule, comparing it with the other Gryffindors. The only class I had with my sister was Potions.<p>

"Hey, Rose!" I heard a voice call out my name. My head shot up, looking for the source of the voice. I spotted James waving me over, surrounded by three people. One I recognized as Sirius, the others I knew were Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew from the earlier sorting. I walked up to them, smiling.

"What's up?" I greeted. "I don't think I got a chance to introduce myself, I'm Rose Evans."

"Call me Lupin, everyone else does," Lupin smiled at me, nodding. Peter's eyes shifted to the side.

"I'm Peter…" he said awkwardly.

"What is it, Potter?" I rolled my eyes. James also tried not to laugh, failing.

"You know, if anyone else called me that, I'd curse them. Anyway, I thought you might like to join up," he said, his eyes darkening with mischief. I grinned, knowing I'd be in no matter what it was. James motioned to his friends. "We're the Marauders, do you want to be in?"

"Token female?" I grinned. James shrugged.

"You could take it that way, I guess. Anyway, I thought you might want to know. It's an open invite."

"Why not," I shrugged. James smiled widely.

"Awesome. Now, the first order of business," he began, sarcastic, "you need a codename."

"Codename?"

"Yep. I'm Prongs, Remus is Moony, Peter is Wormtail, and Sirius is Padfoot. What do you want yours' to be?" I bit my lip, thinking.

"Vixen," I decided, thinking of the small red foxes that always found their way into our backyard during the spring and summer. I loved to draw them, they always seemed so playful.

"Are you now?" James winked. I blushed, smacking him on the shoulder. He grimaced. "You are inhumanly strong, you know that?"

"Growing up with Muggles tends to do that to you," I rolled my eyes. "I actually had chores, no magic." James' eyes widened comically.

"No magic? At all? How did you survive?" he said with admiration. I ignored him, rolling my eyes again.

"So what are we doing first, Messr. Prongs?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. James pouted thoughtfully.

"Messr… I like it. Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs… And Madam Vixen, of course."

"Hmm… I think Vulpes would fit better," I mused. James thought, nodding. "Okay, ground rule: Don't mess with Severus. He and Lily are having a falling out. Let them separate before you guys, meaning Potter and Sirius, torment him. Again, mess with Lily and you mess with me, and you really don't want to do that."

"Why us?" Sirius pouted, his messy dark hair falling into his eyes. I smiled at him cheekily.

"Because Lupin is too responsible to do anything and Peter is too afraid," I shrugged; my initial analysis was true to the letter. "You and Potter are a little more… self-assured. Also, Potter already hates Sev." James smirked lightly.

"You can call me James, you know," he informed me. I grinned.

"Not nearly as much fun," I said, studying the four friends. I felt my hand move towards my sketchbook, always carried with me somewhere under the school robes. Lupin noticed the action.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding concerned. I felt my cheeks redden for some reason and I withdrew my book from my cloak.

"Nothing, just a-" I was interrupted when Sirius snatched the book out of my hand, ignoring my protests as he flipped through the book. The other three all looked over his shoulder as the pages turned, showing various landscapes, sketches of Olwyn and the foxes that called our garden home, pictures of Lily smiling at me, of Petunia picking flowers for Mum before she turned bossy, and the drawing of Lily and Sev in the grove. Lupin raised an eyebrow, studying a sketch of Olwyn hunting under a full moon.

"You're quite good," he nodded. I felt my blush darken, leaving my mind to question why as I tried to pull the book away from Sirius.

"When did you draw this?" James asked, pointing at the drawing of Sev and Lily. I bit my tongue, thinking.

"I'd say about a month ago. Lily, Petunia- our Muggle sister- and I were at the playground. Lily and I did some magic and Sev showed up, telling us we were witches," I said, smiling at the memory. "Lily was really offended; she thought he was insulting us. She grabbed Petunia and left. I stayed behind and let Sev talk. I drew this about a week after that. We were all just talking, trying to avoid Petunia."

"Why not?" Peter asked quietly. I shrugged, finally ripping my sketchbook out of Sirius's hands.

"Petunia doesn't like magic much. I hate to say it but I think she was jealous of Lily and me. When Lily and I started experimenting with our magic, she was pretty much ignored by our parents. So she tried to get their attention by watching Lily and I and reporting every single thing we did that was even a little abnormal. So we left her behind whenever we went to talk to Sev."

"Bet she didn't take that well," James smirked. I shook my head, staring at the ground.

"Right before we got on the Hogwarts Express, she called us freaks, both of us. She said that it was for the safety of the 'normal people' that we were separated from them," I shrugged, looking back to see a little shock on James's face.

"That's ridiculous," Lupin exclaimed. I shrugged again, meeting his eyes.

"Enough of me, what about you guys?" I said cheerfully. All four boys fell quiet. "Oh, come on. Not a single thing to say?"

"Not much to say about me… Third generation Gryffindor," James shrugged. I nodding, biting my lip as I studied him.

"Okay… You were spoiled… Probably raised by older parents," I guessed. "You're used to getting what you want, which is probably the main reason you hate Sev," I analyzed. James looked at me, not sure if he should be impressed or offended.

"I wouldn't say spoiled. But yeah, my parents are older… How'd you know?" When I didn't answer, he pushed on. "What do you mean, 'the main reason'?"

"Easy. Don't take this the wrong way, but you are probably one of the most arrogant people I've met in my life and the really amazing thing is that you don't even know it. You don't like Sev because you are subconsciously under the impression that this entire school is yours', along with everyone in it. Everyone including my sister who just happens to be crushed on by one Severus Snape," I concluded. James and Sirius looked dumbstruck and Lupin sighed.

"Translation: you," he said loudly, pointing at James, "like her," her pointed at me, "sister. Sev likes her sister too. Only one person can end up with the other Miss Evans so you," he pointed once again at James, "are fighting with Severus _over _Lily."

Confusion cleared off of James's face before he looked indignant.

"What? I don't like her sister! No offense," he added as an afterthought. I rolled my eyes, muttering none taken under my breath. Lupin glanced at me knowingly and I smiled widely.

"Anyway, pranks, rule-breaking, and general destruction of both public and private property: where do we start?" I grinned. Sirius nodded at me and then at James.

"I like this one," he chuckled.

* * *

><p>AN:

Rose is a Marauder. I had to. She will be the creator of the Marauders Map- helped along by her handy-dandy sketchbook, of course.

Again, I make the request that you send me a prank idea. They don't need to be outrageously huge, just enough to get them into a reasonable amount of trouble X3

In other news, I am seriously, dangerously running low on inspiration with this story. In my attempts to distract myself from this story and get some new ideas, I inadvertently began a sequel that takes place during Prisoner of Azkaban... I have no idea where it came from, or why I even kept up with it, but it currently has somewhere around 16 chapters, which is a lot more than I have for this. If it comes to it, I'm going to start posting the sequel, naming this as its prequel. I really hope I don't have to do that but I've hit a wall. And not a platform nine and three quarters wall. A Gringotts wall :(

Till next update,

-.- Susie -.-


	6. Lepra Umbra

A/N:

I kinda lied... updates already... I have the next two chapters typed up and then- _crash_... wall... ouch...

I hope you like the new chapter ^.^

* * *

><p>I sat at a desk, twiddling my thumbs as Professor Slughorn stared at the five of us disappointedly. I glanced around the Potions room, finding Sirius, James, Lupin, and Peter scattered around the room. I turned my eyes back to the Potions Professor just as Professor McGonagall walked into the room.<p>

"What have they done this time?" she asked tiredly, her eyes resting on James, then Sirius, then me. Lupin stared dejectedly at his desk while Peter traced the various scribbles on the wooden surface, trying to disappear. Slughorn sighed.

"Miss Evans decided to use her skill in potion-making. I do believe Miss Crawford is still in the infirmary," he reported, staring at me. I blushed, a little indignant.

"In Rose's defense, she did use one of the potions from-" Sirius was quieted by a glance from McGonagall, obviously not moved. Slughorn looked a little more interested.

"Which potion, may I ask? I'm afraid dear Madam Pompfrey hasn't yet identified it," he frowned, trying to cover his curiousity. I smiled sheepishly.

"The book called it _Lepra Umbra_. I researched it a bit further before I made it, though. I knew that it wouldn't cause any lasting damage. A strong Pepper-Up potion and she'll be fine in a few days," I mumbled, staring at the desk. Slughorn nodded, seemingly impressed.

"You successfully managed a potion of that caliber? That is a sixth, if not, seventh year potion. Much higher than I'd expect from a first year student," Slughorn nodded, his chins bobbing. I tried not to laugh. McGonagall cleared her throat loudly, breaking Slughorn out of his thoughts.

"However impressive it might be, Rose has still broken a school rule. Now, you four, what have you done?" She stared levelly at James, who returned it with similar defiance before relaxing into an easy smile.

"I was-" he paused, waiting. A scream sounded from somewhere in the castle and James grinned, receiving a high five from Sirius. "Elsewhere," he finished, smiling widely. McGonagall withered.

"I didn't think you were serious about that, Potter," I chuckled. "Anyway, this one was all me. And the lookout, of course." Sirius raised his hand a little guiltily.

"That was me," he nodded at me. I rolled my eyes as Lupin coughed.

"Shut up Sirius," he hissed before turning back to McGonagall. "I was the lookout. Sirius was with Peter in the-" another scream and Lupin sighed. "In the library."

McGonagall looked between us, amazed and disappointed. The two expressions clashed, her eyebrows rising while her mouth settled into a frown. Slughorn wasn't sure what he should look like so he turned around, his back to us as he fiddled with the papers. I glanced around the room, laughing to myself.

"So we somehow pulled off three pranks, simultaneously at that, and we got caught for spiking Stephanie's pumpkin juice? I must be getting sloppy," I commented. James shrugged in agreement.

"I guess. Maybe next time we could-"

"Three days' detention starting tomorrow night, with me, and fifteen points from Gryffindor," McGonagall interrupted. I guess we looked relieved because she smiled just a little sadistically. "Each."

"Each? But, Professor-" I began. McGonagall cut me off with a glance before striding out of the door. Slughorn turned back to us, a small smile on his face.

"Twenty points to Miss Evans for successfully creating a _Lepra Umbra_ so young. I do believe that that particular potion was on last years' NEWT exam," Slughorn nodded again, his chins agreeing wholeheartedly. I smiled, gaining five points for Gryffindor house.

Slughorn glanced around the room before sighing.

"You may leave. Oh but Rose, take this," he said, handing me two envelops. One had my name on it, the other had my sister's. I glanced up at him, confused, but he was already gone. My eyes darted around the Potions room, my mouth falling open slightly.

"Where did he-"

"He's pretty fast for a guy his size," Lupin noted. I smiled and he frowned. "Do you know what day it is?"

"October… Third?" I guess, not sure. Lupin grimaced before smoothing out his face. I felt my eyebrows furrow concernedly. "What's wrong?"

"What? Oh, nothing's wrong… That just means that tomorrow is Monday," he shrugged. I could tell he was lying but I let him get away with it, trusting that if he wouldn't tell us he could handle it on his own.

"Well, open the thing," James prodded loudly, poking me in the side. I smacked his hand away, rolling my eyes as a smile grew on my face.

"Okay, okay, back off," I chuckled, sliding my index finger under the parchment. I split the envelop, withdrawing a folded sheet of paper from within. I read it a few times before grinning at the ludicrousness of it. "It's an invitation to Professor Slughorn's Halloween Bash."

James and Sirius pretended to swoon in unison. I ignored them as I led the way into the hall and up from the dungeons.

"Oh my, our little Rosie has gotten her invitation to the ball," Sirius grinned, mock bowing to me. James laughed.

"Whatever shall you wear?"

I rolled my eyes as they continued their nonsense, rereading the parchment before smiling at the parting message.

"Hmm, seeing as you two don't want to go, I'll have to ask somebody else," I shrugged, nonchalant. Sirius and James paused mid-waltz.

"What now?" Sirius asked, as literate as usual. I smiled, holding out the paper.

"It says I'm allowed to bring a date. Not that any of you are boyfriend material, but I figured that you might want to come along. I guess I was wrong," I grinned deviously. James bit his lip, not wanting to ask. Sirius pretended to be offended at the banter.

"Who knows, maybe Lily will ask James," Sirius grinned, elbowing Potter in the kidney. James didn't let the hope enter his eyes starting the moment I laughed under my breath.

"We all know that she won't; she still thinks Potter is an arrogant waste of a wand," I smirked. He withered under my gaze.

"That hurts," he pouted. I smiled, resisting the urge to roll my eyes as I skipped over to him and gave him a hug.

"Better?"

"Not at all, Evans. Anyway, just tell us who you're taking," he chuckled, his humor returning at a steady rate. I shrugged.

"I don't know… Lupin, do you want to come?"

"I- can't. I have a lot of work in… Transfiguration," he lied. I frowned, seeing through it easily.

"Horrible lie, Lupin. I'm in your Transfiguration class and McGonagall gave us the next few days off to work on turning animals into goblets," I pointed out. Lupin blushed and I sighed, turning to Sirius. "Sirius, you're up. Say no and I will kill you."

"You let Moony say no!" he protested. I gave him a sadistic grin.

"I guess I like Lupin more than I like you," I grinned. Sirius swallowed, nodding shakily. "Good; now that that's settled, on to the next order of business!"

"What?" Sirius asked warily. I rolled my eyes, pulling my sketchbook out. I opened it, revealing a map. Small footprints dotted the map, moving along the corridors of Hogwarts.

"I need some help on the finishing touches of this," I explained, unfolding the map. Hallways appeared, students' names inscribed boldly against the slightly yellowed parchment.

"What is it?" Peter frowned. I smiled at him.

"I call it the Marauders Map. I've charmed it so that I can see where everyone is at every minute. I thought it might come in handy for the more involved pranks. Also, we can avoid Filch if we're out at night," I explained. James nodded, impressed at the map.

"What if someone else sees it?" he asked, pointing at the ink footprints. I smiled, drawing my wand from it's holster on my thigh. I raised it, tapping the paper.

"Mischief managed," I said clearly. Slowly, the black ink faded into the paper, revealing nothing. "All you need to do the activate it is to say, I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," I said, tapping the paper again. The ink reappeared, showing Filch making his way towards us. I jumped, grabbing the paper again. "Mischief managed," I murmured, stuffing the paper back into my sketchbook. I slid my wand back into the holster just as Filch turned around the corner, zeroing in on us.

"What are you three doing 'ere?" he growled. I glanced around us, right outside the Great Hall. I bit my lip, thinking.

"It's nice out, we were just on our way outside," Sirius shrugged easily. Filch turned to glare at him.

"Well get going, then," he grumbled, hobbling away. Mrs. Norris strayed closer to us, hissing at Lupin before trotting back to her master's ankles. I glanced at him, eyebrows raised.

"What was that about?" I asked. Lupin only shook his head.

"I don't know, that cat just hates me," he shrugged. I yawned, stretching.

"It's not really worth it to go outside now, it's almost dinner," Peter commented quietly. James nodded, mirrored by Sirius and I. I sighed, tired from crafting the most care intensive potion I'd ever attempted.

Students drifted into the Great Hall in pairs and trios, all making their way to dinner. The Marauders, myself included, looked around before melting into the crowd, pushing our way to our seats at the Gryffindor table.

* * *

><p>AN:

Voila! The Marauders Map! It does exist *gasp, dramatic music, etc, etc*

hehehehehee... little Marauders... As innocent as they'll ever be... Is it sad when in October of their youngest and most adorable Hogwarts year, they managed to give another students the symptoms of leprosy? Already? They work fast...

Btw, if you hadn't figured out: Lupin lied *gasp* I know, the responsible one of the five. But he had a very good reason to lie. I checked an almanac- they still have those o.O- and there was a full moon on October 4th, 1971. Yeah, I did my research ;D

Till next time,

^.^ Susie ^.^


	7. Messr Moony

A/N:

The unveiling of Messr. Moony. I hope you like it ^-^

I don't own Harry Potter, no matter how much I less than three it ^-^

* * *

><p>Detention was boring as usual. If James and Sirius didn't have that enchanted mirror, I would have gone insane.<p>

I glanced around the room. I was supposed to be in a room with Lupin, Peter was with James, and Sirius was alone. Lupin had never showed up for detention, something that seemed to go unnoticed by McGonagall.

During detention, I took out my sketchbook, unfolding the Marauders Map, determined to find Lupin.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," I murmured, tapping the paper with my wand. Ink bloomed across the page, showing Lupin outside. I frowned as he walked towards the Whomping Willow. He walked slowly like he always did when he was tired or nervous. I watched as he seemed to walk into the tree before walking in a zig zag away from Hogwarts. I watched as he reached the outskirts of the school grounds, disappearing suddenly.

I glanced in my shard of the enchanted mirror, seeing James and Sirius in opposite ends of the charm glass. I frowned, glancing back at the map.

"What, Evans?" James sighed. I bit my lip.

"Lupin… You know how he skipped today?"

"Yeah, so?" James shrugged, leaning back against his chair as he tried to balance on its back legs.

"So, Lupin is the responsible one of us," I pointed out. "He has never been late to anything, not a single class or detention. The only complaints the professors have with him is that he spends too much time with the lot of us."

"Okay, okay, we're bad role models; get to the point," Sirius yawned.

"The point is that Lupin just disappeared off of the map. Straight towards Hogsmeade," I said, holding the mirror to the map as my finger traced Lupin's path. James leaned forward, his chair loudly returning to the floor as he paid closer attention.

"That is strange… Hold up, why haven't we thought about sneaking off to Hogsmeade?" he looked back up. I held the mirror up, chuckling.

"I did. I've already marked some of the secret passageways that lead out of Hogwarts. So far, I have four written down but I think there are a few more left," I said, tilting the mirror down as I pointed at the different exits. I felt my eyebrows furrow as something occurred to me.

"That's your thinking face," Sirius noted. "Whatcha thinking 'bout?"

"What if there is another tunnel, right under the Whomping Willow, that leads out of Hogwarts? They could have had a problem with students sneaking out that way so they planted that homicidal tree," I reasoned. James nodded.

"How about we go and check out said tree after detention?" Sirius raised an eyebrow, making me laugh. "What?"

"For a Gryffindor, you're really a loser," I commented. Sirius pouted while James howled with laughter. I watched as he hastily stored his part of the mirror in his robes, a flash of McGonagall's face coming into view before the black fabric fell over the mirror.

"Be awake in the boys' dormitory at half past eleven. I'll meet the three of you up there. Make sure James has his cloak with him," I ordered. Sirius nodded.

"I can handle that," he nodded before storing his own mirror as Professor Flitwick announced that detention was over. I studied Professor Binns, the ghost talking to himself in a corner. I glanced at the clock reading nine o' clock.

"Professor Binns?" I asked loudly. The ghost jumped slightly at my voice.

"Ah, yes. You may leave, Miss Evans," he nodded at me before resuming his lecture. I backed away slowly as he taught the walls the laws about the clashes between wizards and goblins across time.

I made my way to the Gryffindor tower, ready to pretend to get ready for bed like all the other Marauders.

* * *

><p>At a quarter after eleven, I opened my eyes to darkness. Only hearing the steady breathing of the other girls in my dormitory, I pulled the curtains open. I glanced at Lily, fast asleep with a contented smile on her face, before messily tying my hair into its regular French braid. I grabbed the Marauders Map from it's hiding spot inside my sketchbook and my wand from my nightstand. I took a final glance around the room before venturing down into the common room, carefully avoiding the stairs that creaked. Sneaking into the boys' dormitory in a similar manner, I made my way to the room shared by the Marauders. Lupin's bed was empty, the curtains still drawn back. I ignored it, looking instead to Sirius's and James's beds. As Sirius shrugged into his robes, James knelt at his trunk, rummaging through it. Peter balanced anxiously on the edge of his bed.<p>

"Relax, Wormtail," I said quietly, smiling reassuringly. "We aren't doing anything abnormally reckless. Besides, Lupin's been down there for hours, I doubt there's anything to fear," I pointed out. Peter bit his lip, breathing deeply, and I turned back to James as he stood, the invisibility cloak held in his hands.

"Found it!" he announced. I studied the cloak as Sirius and Peter stepped closer to him.

"I don't there's going to be enough room for the four of us… I don't think we should push it," I frowned. Peter relaxed.

"I'll stay behind," he volunteered. I glanced at the other two boys, already nodding.

"If you say so," James nodded slowly. I stepped closer to Sirius and James as the latter raised the cloak. He threw it over us evenly, hiding us from head to toe in the magic cloak. The cloak itself was an old family heirloom, passed from father to son, mother to daughter, as each generation took their place at Hogwarts.

Under the cloak, I took out the map and my wand, activating it. My eyes quickly spotted Filch, making his normal rounds in the dungeon.

"We're clear," I announced to my fellow Marauders. I pointed at Filch's dot as he went deeper and deeper into the dungeons, heading towards the Slytherin's common room.

"Well," Sirius said after a pause, "what are we waiting for?"

I gave him a bright smile, my voice already laden with sarcasm.

"For your usual cheery self to make a comment, of course," I grinned. He pouted.

"You two can flirt later, let's go find Moony," James scoffed. I glared at Peter, who was laughing, to no avail. Under the cloak, he couldn't see us. I smirked when he fidgeted, feeling my eyes on him.

"Say that again and I will hex you so badly you'll be too embarrassed to flirt," I threatened. James smiled at me.

"Love you too, Evans," he smirked. I chuckled.

"Let's not mix me up with my sister, eh Potter?" I responded, grabbing both boys by the wrist and pulling them towards the door. James scoffed again and I lowered my wand to his groin. "I should warn you; we've been practicing shrinking charms with Professor Flitwick. Would you care to test me?" I smiled angelically. James gulped, shaking his head vigorously. I laughed under my breath at the pureblood wizard. "Careful there, James. I don't know how many brain cells you can afford to lose."

"Okay, you two can flirt later! Let's go find Remus," Sirius interrupted our banter. James seemed a little stunned. "What is it, Prongs?"

"You called me James," he grinned victoriously at me. I blushed, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Good, it only took her a month to learn your name," Sirius smirked. I ignored them as they continued their banter, leading them down the stairs and out of the portrait hole into the deserted corridors.

* * *

><p>"So where is this secret tunnel supposed to be?" Potter whispered in my ear. I swatted him away, leaving the protection of the invisibility cloak. I studied the Whomping Willow as it thrashed about, seeming more irritated than usual.<p>

I spotted a collection of sticks near the base of the roots, too neat to be natural. My eyebrows furrowing, I drew my wand, pointing at another twig.

"Wingadium leviosa," I murmured. The twig rose steadily in the air and I shifted my wand so that it would move closer to the roots. The moment the stick made contact, the tree froze, it's branches all upwards as it stood at attention. I grinned as Sirius and James lifted the cloak over their heads, staring at me openmouthed. I chuckled at them as they stood, motionless. "Well? Come on," I urged.

"What now?" Sirius asked. James cleared his throat.

"We could always try the very suspicious looking hole in the roots," he smirked, pointing at a gap in the wood that I hadn't even noticed. I nodded my approval, leading the way into the tunnel with my wand held aloft, the tip glowing gently.

As we walked deeper and deeper into the tunnel, I began to hear something, like an animal in pain. I felt my face settle into a frown as a loud howl echoed into the tunnel. Sirius and James looked a little anxious, just as I was, but put on as brave a face as they could manage.

"Potter," I whispered, slowing my pace. The boy ran right into me and I sighed.

"What, Evans?"

"Give me the cloak," I ordered. James nodded slowly, pulling the cloak from within his robes. I shook it out, throwing it over me.

"What are you doing?" Sirius hissed. I smirked, already invisible.

"Scoping the place out. I think I know where we are," I nodded, forgetting that they couldn't see me. Sirius's eyebrows met confusedly and I sighed. "I think this tunnel leads to the Shrieking Shack," I confessed. James raised an eyebrow.

"That would explain the howling," he conceded. I nodded again.

"And that is why I want the cloak. This isn't right; that isn't just the wind. There is something up there that I'd rather not be seen by whatever it is," I explained, not saying my real reasons. I knew very well what was up there, as well as who. I couldn't tell James and Sirius, they were far too noble to let a _girl _go into such danger by herself *insert scoff of disbelief here*.

I left the two behind, climbing the last of the stairs. I crouched at the door, looking in a crack between the planks of wood as a grey shape moved within the room, whimpering. I watched as he froze, his head slowly turning to me. My eyes met his, so full of unspoken anger and loneliness that it broke my heart for my friend. Lupin raised his head and released another unanswered howl to the Shrieking Shack.

"So, what was up there?" Sirius asked excitedly. I shrugged off the cloak, sighing.

"What is it, Evans?" James asked, his eyes worried. I bit my lip.

"Remus. It's Remus," I explained briefly. Seeing the confusion in my fellow Marauders' eyes, I took pity on them. "I've been suspecting it for a while. I just wasn't sure if I was right or not; it was a long shot at best."

"What is it?" James repeated. I met his worried eyes, trying not to put too much sadness in my own.

"It's Remus. He's a werewolf, that's why he picked the name Moony," I explained. I nodded back up the stairs. "When I was little, I was a little obsessed with werewolves and vampires and things like that. So when I got my schoolbooks, I did a little more research to see how much the Muggles got right. Turns out they were wrong on a lot of things, but that doesn't matter. What matters is they transform every month at the full moon and have no control over themselves. A werewolf can wake up the next morning and not know if the blood on him is his best friend's or not. That's why I wanted the cloak, I needed to make sure without being seen," I stated.

"What's with the howling?" Sirius asked quietly, his eyes matching his name.

"Werewolves aren't as solitary as most witches and wizards think. They're pack animals of sorts. When they transform, they howl to tell other werewolves where they are so that they can meet." My eyes were downcast as James nodded.

"That explains why Dumbledore put the Whomping Willow in this year. If he knows about Remus' condition, which I'm sure he does, he didn't want other students to find out. Werewolves have a bad reputation in the Wizarding World, if the parents of the students knew that there was one amongst their children they'd fight back," James stated. I nodded slowly.

"So what should we do now?" Sirius asked. I bit my lip.

"We can't tell him we know until he's recovered, the full moon would weaken him for a few days. I say we go back to Gryffindor tower and try to get some sleep. Maybe a quick stop at the kitchens, first," I conceded. Sirius grinned.

"I guess you found them too?"

"Of course I did," I scoffed, activating my map. Filch was parading the third floor corridor, followed closely by Mrs. Norris, a small tabby kitten with a knack for finding people out of bed. "We're clear," I announced, pointing from Filch to the entrance to the kitchens. James threw the cloak over us once again and I let him lead the way to the kitchens, where the house elves were sure to make certain that we didn't leave with empty arms or stomachs.

* * *

><p>AN:

Short chapter, I know, but what can you do? *shrug*

First, when I said Sirius' eyes matched his name, I meant they were serious. Not dark. I realized that was a little confusing...

For future reference, the girls sharing a dormitory with Rose are: Lily Evans, Alice Fortescue (Longbottom), Shannon Re, Molly Prewett (Weasley). That'll come up sometime later and I don't want you to be confused about it.

To my most faithful reviewer, berkley292, I LURVES YOU TOO! And no, I don't hate you for thinking Sirius/Rose. I think they're *spoiler* going to have an awkward but adorable moment before Rose finally realizes that she is in love with Messr. Moony. Probably around Christmas, second year. Not exactly sure when, but it's going to happen. For anyone who's like, oh, they're too young to be dating- they will be twelve. I don't know about you, but my first BF was when I was ten. Awkward but innocent, my favorite kind :3

And I don't do too much research. I like to be thorough. If you didn't know, I sat with HP: PoA when I wrote the fanfic I gave you. I have eight bookmarks chilling in random spots wherever I thought I'd reuse a little detail or something like that. And her name is going to Vulpes for all intents in purposes (I'm not sure if you've read that far, but check out what Sirius' nickname for Rose is. It's in the beginning of chapter 8).

Also, I'd complain about my name but I sign with it so whatever.

Till next time,

^.^ Susie ^.^


	8. Leaving for Christmas

A/N:

Thanks for the reviews. :)

Reader AZ, keep in mind that the Animagus form reflect their personalities and characteristics. It's a stretch, but I needed the names for the Marauders Map *shrug*

Lol, I'm listening to AVPM. I'm right at the part where Cho Chang comes in... "That's Lavender Brown! Racist sister!" *slap*ROTFLD (rolling on the floor like Draco, of course)

Anyway, I still don't own HP :)

* * *

><p>Lupin didn't join us for breakfast, saying that he felt ill. I narrowed my eyes a little suspiciously but let him walk away, seeing his normally pale complexion more ashen than usual.<p>

Sitting in the Great Hall, I glanced around myself. Lily, who was at my immediate right, was waving to Severus on the other side of the hall, near the end of the Slytherin table, and he returned the wave. To her right sat Alice Fortescue, her best friend. Alice was in the dormitory I shared with Lily and another first year girl, Shannon Re. Shannon, known mostly sat across from Alice, laughing about something that had happened in their DADA class the previous day.

James was at my left, laughing with an older boy named Arthur Weasley or something like that. The redhead had a strange interest in Muggles, often interrogating Lily and I about what non-magical things do. I was at a loss to describe the purpose of a rubber duck.

Sirius sat across from me, Peter sitting at his left and across from James. Taking Lupin's regular spot at the table next to Sirius sat another first year named Frank Longbottom. He came from a long line of pureblood wizards but, unlike most purebloods such as the Malfoy and Black families, he didn't care about your lineage. He was probably one of my closest friends outside of the Marauders.

My eyes searched out other familiar faces in the crowds: Xenophilus Lovegood, a wizard even stranger than Arthur; Narcissa and Bellatrix Black, Sirius' much hated cousins; Andromeda Black, their more gentle and accepting sister; and Lucius Malfoy, one of Sev's older friends in Slytherin as well as a prefect.

"Who're you looking for?" Frank asked me, frowning concernedly. I laughed, shaking off his concern.

"Just looking. Mail's here," I announced as the owls swarmed the hall. I stared up as Olwyn and another owl carried a strange shaped package down to me. I grinned as I spotted the distinctive shape. Lily looked at me accusingly.

"I told you not to buy it, Rose," she scolded. I shrugged her off as Olwyn dropped the package at my plate before circling the hall and landing to rest on my shoulder, chuffing happily. I scratched her head obediently as James and Sirius opened my package.

"That's a Snapdragon 500," Shannon breathed, taking in the polished handle, the carefully crooked tail twigs, and the golden dragon spiraling the handle, it's jaws opening right before the word _'Snapdragon' _etched into the tip of the golden wood. I grinned at my friends.

"How'd you afford this? The Snapdragon 500 is the best broom on the market," Sirius said, his lower jaw dangerously close to his eggs and bacon. My smile widened.

"Lots of babysitting, lawn mowing, dog walking, and raking leaves. I wasn't sure what I was saving up for, but I'm glad I did," I said, holding my new broom in one hand, admiring it.

"You've got to let me take her out for a spin," Shannon announced. I laughed under my breath as my friends argued over who should get to ride it first. Eventually, Lily rained on our parade.

"And what exactly are you going to do with a broom?" she raised an eyebrow. I pouted until James brightened.

"I know," he exclaimed. "Come to Quidditch tryouts with Padfoot and me."

"Padfoot and I," Lily corrected. James threw a withering glance at her, softened by his affections.

"Thank you, Evans," he said curtly. "Anyway, you should come with us."

"Quidditch?" I felt my eyebrows furrow at the unfamiliar word. Sirius' jaw dropped further and Peter squeaked, leaning away in surprise.

"You've never heard of Quidditch?" James raised an eyebrow in disbelief. I shook my head, pointing at myself.

"Muggleborn, remember?" James exchanged a glance with Sirius before both sighed theatrically.

"Rosie, Rosie, Rosie," he sighed, shaking his head each time he said my much hated nickname. I bit back a growl, instead stooping to his level.

"Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy," I repeated. Now it was Potter's turn to grimace and I grinned in response. "Spit it out, we have to be in Transfiguration in… eight minutes," I said, glancing at my watch.

"Okay, Quidditch is only _the _greatest sport in the entire world," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Yep. There are two teams, each with seven players each: two beaters, three chasers, one keeper, and one seeker. There are three different balls: the Quaffle, the bludgers, and the snitch. Chasers score points by taking the Quaffle and throwing it through one of the other team's three goal posts. Each goal a chaser makes is worth ten points. The beaters keep the bludgers, which fly around trying to knock people off of their brooms, away from their players. The keeper guards his or her team's goal posts, trying to keep the other team's chasers from scoring a goal. The seeker has the hardest job. They have to find a catch a ball about this big," James explained, his hand forming a circle about the size of a golf ball, "as it flies around the field. When the seeker catches the snitch, the game is over and their team gets a hundred and fifty points. The game isn't over until the snitch is caught. The longest game record lasted three months straight," he informed me, gathering his books

"Sounds fun… Wait, did you say _months_?"

James only laughed.

* * *

><p>"Lupin, can I talk to you? Alone?" I said a little hesitantly. The full moon came and went as we went on with our daily lives: avoiding the professors, recklessly endangering ourselves, sneaking out of the castle, going to class every now and then, and messing around with the Slytherins. Christmas was almost upon us; this was my last chance to talk to Remus before going home with Lily.<p>

The boy looked a little confused, as did the other Gryffindors eating breakfast at the table, but nodded when I pulled him away. Back in the entrance hall, I bit my lip, thinking of how I could possibly word something like this. In the end, I settled for short and sweet.

"I know," I blurted, biting my lip again when the words had left my mouth. Remus' confusion grew and I sighed. "I told you that everyone has a secret, right? Well, I've figured yours' out."

Remus looked thunderstruck, glancing nervously around us.

"What do you mean?" he asked anxiously. I sighed, pulling him further away from the Great Hall.

"I figured it out last October, actually. I just- I didn't really know how to tell you that I knew," I said, brushing my hair out of my face again. "That night we all had detention, remember? You didn't show up."

"I was sick," he lied. I saw through it, shaking my head. I pulled out my Marauders Map. I was still in the process of making copies for each of the Marauders but only James' was complete.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Moony. I checked the map, you weren't in the hospital wing. You were in the tunnel under the Whomping Willow."

"You- you know about that?"

"Of course I do. I'm a Marauder. After detention, James, Sirius, and I went down the tunnel under the cloak. You can't deny it, Remus; I saw you myself. I suspected it for a while but I couldn't just ask you about it- I knew you'd try to reject that someone other than you knew. You don't need to worry about it though. Only the Marauders know and we're not about to sell anyone out."

"You- saw- Willow- but-" His brain was overloading. So I did the first thing that came into my head: I pulled him into a tight hug. When I released him, I smiled to see the blush on his face.

"I did. And I don't care. You're one of my best friends, Remus. I don't want to lose that because Abraxas Malfoy doesn't want his son going to the same school as you," I rolled my eyes. The Malfoys were notoriously narrowed minded. They were one of the older pureblood families that walked around the Wizarding World like they owned it, because they did. They were the richest, the best well-connected, and almost always jerks and Slytherins. Sirius came from a family like that, the House of Black, but he broke tradition and his mother's cold heart when he got sorted into Gryffindor.

"But- I'm a-"

"Human being. Just be glad I'm not my Muggle sister," I cut him off before he could wallow. "She thinks _I'm_ a freak."

A moment of silence followed. I was beginning to get worried when Remus looked up, a faint smile on his face.

"Not to me," he said quietly. My smile broadened and I hugged him again before rushing back into the Great Hall before he could see the blush growing on my own cheeks.

* * *

><p>AN:

"Man, I hate that guy..."

"Did somebody say Draco Malfoy?"

...

_Floo Powder Power... Floo Powder Power... Floo Powder Power!_

... (excuse me as I'm obsessive)

Anyway, I'm sooooo tired... Btw, my birthday was two days ago ;). One of my bestest friends _ever, _Mama Traina, gave me Redvines and the entire AVPM/AVPS soundtrack for my birthday XD

Also, berkeley_929_- I GOT IT RIGHT THAT TIME- is amazing. Go read School Days, by her of course. That was the story that inspired me to write this. As strange as it sounds, Rose is like my mind child with berkeley. It happens. So, Re, when you review this- and I know you will- you can lol all over your review.

Anywaaayyyy, I love Remus/Rose. XD

They're so adorable :D They're totally at that awkward stage in their lives when they don't know they love the other but know that what they have is just a bit more than friendship, making them have absolutely no idea how to behave around the other.

This story makes me happy. Just so you know :)

I had a really horrible day today, a Monday of course, and I sat down after a three hour marching band rehearsal with bruises covering half my body and a thoroughly aching shoulder and started writing more of this story. I was smiling after less than ten minutes. That's what makes it all worth while for me, however cheesy that sounds. I hope you feel the same way about your work :)

^.^ Susie ^.^


	9. Happy Chirstmas! Or Not?

A/N:

Just a quick word, I promise. First, _I already updated!_ That's enough to make me happy :)

Secondly, in regards to Berkeley929's review, they are still in their first year. Rose will be practicing her Quidditch so she can try out with James and Sirius in their second year. If you've noticed the small continuity error, just get your mind thinking that first years are still, at this point in time, allowed to have broomsticks. According to the vague outline I've drafted up for their seven years, there will be some kind of accident with a first year and a broomstick that adds that last little warning. I can't give too much away, just know that nobody dies or anything. I'd really hate to start killing people off just before Rose's OWL's *hint hint*. Could you imagine the stress that'd add?

Anyway, I still have yet to own any part of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is god. (_Goddess? O.o_)

* * *

><p>"What are <em>you<em> doing here?" Petunia looked past our parents to stare at Lily and I as she blocked the doorway of our home. I bit back a grimace.

"What d'you mean, what are we doing here? In case you haven't noticed, _Tuney_," I exaggerated, staring evenly into her eyes, "Lily and I live here. Which, generally, means we are allowed inside." Never one for subtleties, I pushed past my older sister, balancing Olwyn's cage and my sketchbook in one arm as my other hand pulled my trunk inside behind me. Lily apologized to our sister, following me in.

I glanced around the room, already decorated for Christmas. The tree was all but ready; the only thing missing was the beautiful china angel that Mum always saved for last. Catching me staring at the tree, Mum smiled gently.

"I thought we should wait for you two before putting the angel up," she said, smiling at the tree. Lily's eyes lit up happily, dimming when Petunia scoffed.

"I voted to put it up yesterday," she informed me. I noticed how her eyes darted towards Lily, the easier target, and I flared up. After months of defending Lily at Hogwarts, it was a knee-jerk reaction.

"Back off, Petunia," I ordered, taking half a step in front of my twin protectively. Lily smiled softly, shaking her head as if to tell me that Petunia wasn't a threat. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as Mum and Dad interrupted our little reunion. Unfortunately, Dad started the conversation.

"So, how was school?" he asked, oblivious to or ignoring the tension in the room. Petunia's eyes narrowed and I grinned.

"Absolutely fantastic. I've made some really good friends," I said all too sweetly for Petunia. My grin turned just a little smug when she clenched her jaw.

"I wouldn't call them good friends with the trouble those boys get you into," Lily countered. "Especially that Potter boy."

"You're going to have to spend the next six and a half years of your life with him, Lil. Why try to avoid him?" I said, already raising an eyebrow. "Unless you _like_ him, of course," I smiled, smug. It was Lily's turn to flare up, now indignant.

"Me? Like- _that_!" she gasped, as if it was incomprehensible. I sighed dramatically.

"Oh, Lily, there is so much more than meets the eye with my friends. I think the only really boring one of the five of us is Peter and that's just because he's…"

"Personality deprived?" Lily suggested. I grinned. Of course, once we were at home Lily was going to show her confidence. I still grinned.

"I hate to say it, but you're kind of right. Anyway, are you up helping me with Quidditch practice? I really need to start training if I want to make the house team," I said, staring desperately into my sister's eyes. She melted, torn between sisterly affection and her love of the rules. I congratulated myself on my acting skills.

"But how will you practice?" she asked as I said a quick farewell to our parents and dear older sister before leading Lily back into our room, leaving them to wonder what Quidditch was.

Closing the door firmly, I quickly released Olwyn from her cage. She circled the room happily, landing silently on the rails of my bunk bed. I glanced around the room before reaching a hand into my pocket, pulling out a golden snitch. Seeing it, Lily gasped.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is," she said, taking a step back as I took a step towards her. I chuckled, letting the snitch release its wings and fly a short distance before I reached out and caught it again.

"Don't look at me; Sirius was the one that took it," I defended weakly, smiling all the while. "And we won't get in trouble for using magic outside of school. I already looked it up in the library."

"Rose Elizabeth Evans, did you just say that you've actually been to the school library?" Lily asked, something like pride shining in her emerald eyes. I rolled my own.

"You need background information to pull off the best pranks," I shrugged. "You can tell which ones we've researched before testing them in the field. Anyway, according to the books I've read, there's nothing that prohibits the use of a broomstick outside of school. There was only a note to be careful of Muggles and to remember the Statute of Secrecy."

"You did do your research!" Lily exclaimed, capturing me in a hug. I laughed almost despite myself, trying not to roll my eyes again.

"Lily Evans, release me or I swear I'll tell Potter that you're harboring a crush," I threatened when she refused to let go. At the threat, she jumped back as if she were burned by my obnoxious fiery hair. Brushing it out of my face, I sighed exasperatedly. "I swear I'm going to cut this off one day."

"But I love your hair!" Lily exclaimed, apparently forgetting with what I had threatened her not too long ago.

"We have the same hair, Lil," I reminded her. She shook her head, running a hand through her own locks.

"No, yours' is straighter," she argued. I was about to go into how that wasn't genetically possible, as we had the same DNA, only to be interrupted by an over-dramatic sigh from the door. It swung open and Petunia's shadow jumped across our room.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to sound polite. Petunia apparently noticed this; her eyes narrowed and she clear her throat self-importantly.

"Mum wants you downstairs for some reason. Mum, Dad, and I are putting the angel up," she informed us before closing the door in a sweeping motion. I scowled at the exceedingly obvious exclusion. I poked Lily in the side, ushering her towards the door.

"Come along, Miss Evans, you wouldn't want to miss such a family moment, even if our dear sister is in attendance," I said, bowing deeply as I gestured to the door. It worked like a charm; Lily laughed, her brave face dimming behind the happiness that so easily came into and left her dancing green eyes.

* * *

><p>Being a rather terrible Marauder, I waited to open my presents with the rest of my family on Christmas morning after a hurried 'Happy Christmas!- where are my presents?'. The normal Christmas morning, in my opinion.<p>

I opened the presents from the Marauders, exchanged just before we parted on platform nine and three quarters. James had gotten me a miniature Snapdragon 500 that zoomed around my hand and a box of walnut chocolate fudge- the only desert I ever ate. Remus got me a book on werewolves- something I got a laugh out of especially after I flipped open the cover to show a rough sketch of the Whomping Willow. Peter gave me a new sketchbook, probably remembering the multiple tirades I had made on my lack of quality paper. When I turned to the last present, from Sirius, I opened the black box, only to find myself smiling, a little stunned, at the necklace before me.

It was simple enough to be an innocent present. It was a simple gold chain with a single charm hanging from it. The charm was a ruddy gold vixen, with emeralds in the place of its eyes. I smiled at it, already turning to Lily to ask her to help me with the clasp.

"Who sent you that?" Petunia frowned, watching Lily laugh over the charm.

"One of her friends at school," Lily shrugged. "At least he knows how to pick a present, Foxy."

"Watch it Evans," I said teasingly. I quickly opened my other presents: a wand holster, a book about Quidditch, and snitch earrings, all from Lily; a new bedspread proudly displaying a lion and some money, courtesy of my parents; and a cheap set of colored pencils from Petunia. I thanked everyone from their gifts, watching as they opened mine.

I gave everyone, Marauders included, a rose that I'd enchanted to never wilt on top of their individual presents. It took some time and a little tutoring with Flitwick but I think I managed it okay.

I had given Petunia the original sketches I had made of her as well as various photographs from our childhood, all collected within a magic-free scrapbook, the kind of present she wouldn't throw out at least. Mum got a new bracelet that I saw in Diagon Alley the first time we went there. I thought it fit her well; braided leather laced with turquoise stones and silver threads that never seemed to decide on what color they should be. Dad got self-tying tie- no strangling, guaranteed- with a habit of changing colors for the occasion and a number of Chocolate Frogs.

Lily opened her presents last. I gave her a Marauder-free-day coupon, something not very appreciated by Sirius and James. I eventually made them sign the paper, only threatening a little physical and mental trauma if they refused.

I also gave her wand holster. We shared a smile, having gotten the other the same present. She moved on to the third, and final, gift that I'd prepared, the one I worked hardest on.

She finally unwrapped the newest copy of the sketch that I'd drawn of her and Sev before Hogwarts. It was similar, but not quite. I'd charmed the paper, again with Flitwick's help- but no one needed to know that- so that the two eleven year olds were free to move about the page. It was like the talking portraits at Hogwarts but less refined, in a good way. The two moved about the page occasionally but they seemed most at home sitting as they were when I drew it, talking soundlessly to the other.

"I love it," she said sincerely. I grinned.

"That's why I made it," I shrugged, only a little sarcastic. Petunia's lip curled at the clearly 'freakish' present I had made for my favorite sister. "I can try to do the same to yours', Petunia, if you like. I just thought that you'd prefer a gift without magic involved in the process."

"Then you thought right," Petunia said, glaring at me. She jumped up, screaming, when Dad opened a Chocolate Frog and it jumped right onto her.

"Calm down, relax; Chocolate Frogs only have one good jump in them," I said, soothing my older sister as I lifted the animated treat off of her shoulder, passing it back to our father. "Bite it's head off or it'll try to crawl away."

Looking more than wary, my father obeyed, smiling at the taste before looking back at the box.

"Who'd you get?" Lily inquired. Dad lifted the card to reveal Dumbledore, once again. I sighed. "That's the fourth Dumbledore card we've gotten!"

"The Headmaster of Hogwarts?" Mum asked, looking for confirmation. I nodded.

"Uh-huh. He's-" I was interrupted. Petunia, still on her feet from the Chocolate Frog incident, had spun on her heel and strode out the door at mention of Professor Albus Dumbledore. "Not Petunia's favorite wizard, apparently."

* * *

><p>"Bloody hell, that must've been terrible!" James sympathized as I finished my story. Lily was already gone, back to Sev and his little Slytherin friends.<p>

"It's okay, I think I'm going to spend Easter at Hogwarts though," I shrugged, glancing at the sunny day outside the window of the Hogwarts Express. Christmas holidays couldn't end soon enough, not for me.

"Me too," James smiled eagerly. "After all, the Marauders missed a prime opportunity on Christmas Break. We're going to need to do something- something big- to make up for all the wasted time."

"Leave Sev out of it," I warned. "Go after the other Slytherins; I can't stand the lot he hangs around with. I swear they know more curses than I do."

"How many curses do you know, Rosie?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. I couldn't keep the blush off of my face, not for long.

"Less than Avery, that's for sure. Besides, the stuff I know can't _really_ hurt someone. I've seen some of the work those kids do. If it was any worse, I'd say some of it was Dark magic," I shuddered against my will. Some of the spells the Slytherin first years knew disturbed me. That's why I was glad to be a Marauder; we might've abused our popularity but the biggest damage we dealt was a wounded ego.

"Dark?" Remus asked, his eyes glancing to the door cautiously. I nodded and Peter swallowed anxiously.

"I'd bet ten galleons that they learned all it from their Death Eater daddies," James scowled. His parents were big on fighting Dark magic. I'm happy to say that it must of rubbed off on James.

I bit my lip when James mentioned the Death Eaters. Their leader was the Darkest Dark Lord since Grindelwald. And, on top of that, he had it out for Muggles and Muggleborns, meaning Lily and I were at the top of the to-do list if we ever crossed paths with one of his followers.

"I'm getting really tired of all the rumors floating around. I can't even get any solid information from my parents and you know how they are," Sirius yawned, glancing out the window as the sun began to set.

"I think I'm more getting tired of his merry band of death munchers," I sighed, stretching. "We should almost be at Hogwarts by now."

"Yeah, I'm getting hungry," James grinned. I rolled my eyes, throwing the box of a Chocolate Frog at him. He dodged it easily and I sighed again.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" I exclaimed, flipping pages in my old sketchbook until the page I was looking for fell open. The page was thoroughly scribbled on, each sentence on werewolves or Animagi.

"Animagi?" James raised an eyebrow. I shushed him.

"I was researching over Christmas Break. A little before that, but that's not important," I said, avoiding their eyes. "Anyway, thanks for the book Remus. It put the last piece of the puzzle in place."

"What puzzle?" Lupin asked, so oblivious that I rolled my eyes.

"Well, we obviously can't leave you unattended every full moon. You were right, if you had seen me that night someone was going to get hurt-"

"Bet it would've been Moony with the broken bones and bruises," James sniggered to Sirius, who nodded in agreement, a lopsided grin on his face.

"-Shut up, Potter. Anyway, I don't think we should leave you alone all night. So I did some research, and it turns out that werewolves, while they infect and potentially kill humans, don't hurt animals."

"So you want to learn how to become an Animagus?" Lupin guessed, studying the notes I'd written. I nodded.

"Yep. If the four of us," I said, gesturing to Peter, James, Sirius, and myself, "are animals while you're… transformed, we won't get hurt and we'll be able to keep an eye on you."

"Brilliant," Sirius grinned. I smiled back.

"I try," I chuckled before letting my smile melt. "The only problem is becoming Animagi… I've read about them too. It's really difficult to become one. So hard that there've only been seven registered Animagi in the century. If we do something wrong, we're done for." I bit my lip again, letting that sink in. Eventually, James cleared his throat.

"Where do we start?"

My lips curved into another smile and I turned the page in my sketchbook to show more notes. I repeated this process; one… two… three… four… five… six... The pages of notes went on forever. This was part of the reason I needed a new sketchbook. James and Sirius exchanged a glance before groaning in unison.

"This might take a while," I laughed.

* * *

><p>AN:

I know that, in canon, the other Marauders didn't find out about Remus' condition until second year. As that was the reason they decided to become Animagi, I thought it'd be best to maintain that little cause-and-effect. Rose and the others will get it mastered in fourth year. In the original, it took three years for the boys to learn how to become Animagi. I can't justify to myself keeping them held back another year. Besides, think of all the pranks a fox, dog, stag, and rat could pull off?

No, seriously. Think about the pranks. I could still use some inspiration prank-wise. I'm not nearly sneaky enough to think of anything even remotely brilliant. Just ask Re. I'm not a sneaky kind of person. I'm more of a clever, obsessive, and sleepy kind of person... Like Shikamaru with more addictions... *otaku-ing*

"Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue."

^.^ Susie ^.^


	10. Going Home

I do not own Harry Potter. Only Rose and the OC's are mine.

* * *

><p>A while was right. Becoming an Animagus was much easier said than done. There was an entire process and lots of theory that only Lupin and I were even close to comprehending; and that didn't help Lupin, as he was the one that we were learning the new skill for.<p>

We weren't making good progress, slowed down by our normal routine and the pranks that we pulled to keep appearances. It didn't help that I was put in detention for a week for beating up another student. He had it coming, but that didn't mean Professor McGonagall or Slughorn could go easy on me.

~Flashback~

"It's going to wait for you to add the daisy root. Don't pay attention to the book, the time window is wider than it'd lead you to believe. Come on. Alice, visualize it; it's going to turn purple," I ordered. My fellow first year, Gryffindor, and roommate Alice Fortescue swallowed. She was staring at the cauldron before her, her hand hovering over the potions ingredients. Lily and I, our potions already finished and graded, were moving around the room, helping the other students. Our knack for potion-making was well-known but that didn't stop Goyle, a rather stupid wall of meat, from cracking what, in his mind, could have been a joke to his fellow Slytherins.

"Hogwarts is going downhill, letting that mudblood teach potions," he sneered as I instructed Alice a row in front of him. My fist clenched, something that did not go unnoticed by Alice. She stared worriedly at me as her potion turned a dark violet. I smiled tightly.

"Good work, Alice. Go give some to Slughorn," I said, handing her a phial as I plotted my revenge on Goyle.

He was forced to stay in the hospital wing for the next week.

I told the Marauders about it a few days after he was released. He then returned for another week and a half.

We all sat in detention, thoroughly pleased with ourselves, according to McGonagall.

~End Flashback~

Before we knew it, school was drawing to a close. Fifth and seventh years panicked about their exam results and everyone else was happy for the end of another school year. Everyone but me, it seemed. I was not looking forward to living with Petunia for six weeks and, judging from her behavior over Christmas Break, she was no more pleased than I was with the arrangement. Unfortunately, I declined James' offer to spend the summer with him. Six weeks with James Potter living down the hall would be almost as tragic as six weeks with my prejudiced sister. He laughed when I told him that.

Lily was less than happy when Potter made his offer, especially since it was extended to her. It was only then, when she denied herself freedom from Petunia, did I realize how the Marauders, even me, must seem to her. _We_ were the bad guys to her. James was the worst, Sirius a close second. It seemed that my restraint towards Sev was more relaxed than I'd thought. We had embarrassed him, just not as publicly as we had our other victims. I guess he didn't really see the difference.

It was because of that realization that, when we boarded the Hogwarts Express at the end of term, I separated myself from the other Marauders and sat with Lily and Sev, even if they sat with a group of Slytherins. Goyle, the lump that called me a mudblood, was among them. I grinned warningly at him and he backed into a seat, his back pressed against the wall.

"Hey, Sev," I greeted. "I haven't talked to you in a while; how've you been?"

"I've been better, but I suppose your _friends_ would know all about that, wouldn't they?" he asked, his lip curling slightly. I kept my face smooth.

"I suppose you're right. That lot is hard to control, even for me," I sighed. "If I didn't say sorry, I am."

"Sorry for what?" Lily asked pointedly. She was all too informed on the enmity between the two boys. I hadn't say a word about my trying to protect Sev. I thought she'd get indignant about why he'd need protection.

"Nothing," Sev announced. He met my eyes, nodding slowly. "It's not your fault that Potter is a pompous prat."

"He's my pompous prat, I'm afraid," I smiled, laughing under my breath. I glanced at the Slytherins, all tense. I even saw one, McNair, reach towards his wand and I sighed. "I'm not going to attack you lot," I announced, rolling my eyes. "Not worth getting into a fight on our way home."

"Why, 'cause there's no teachers to give you detention?" Lily rolled her eyes. I shrugged, noticing that not a single Slytherin was calm. Only Sev seemed like he wasn't going to hex me out of the compartment.

"Honestly, I'm not going to do anything," I chuckled. "Honestly, there's no point to it. I'm not stupid, I'm outnumbered. And Sev, I'm sure you'd side with your _friends_ if it was me or them. Don't worry, I don't blame you, I'd do the same with the Marauders," I shrugged, sitting down next to Lily- and more importantly, the door.

"I still don't know how you can be friends with those…" Lily drifted off, fuming silently and at a loss for words. My smile grew.

"Over-confident, self-righteous, and rather obnoxious boys?" I offered. Even McNair cracked a smile and I shrugged again. "Someone's gotta keep them from getting themselves expelled. Lupin can't handle Sirius and Potter." I was surprised when Lily laughed.

"You're his mate but you call him Potter too?" she smiled. I shrugged, grinning.

"He doesn't deserve his first name from me yet. Last time I checked, you lot thought the same thing," I said, glancing around the compartment. More than one person smiled easily.

"Anyway, he hates it when you call him Jimmy," I said, winking at Sev. He chuckled, smiling. I disregarded the quiet maliciousness hiding in his grin.

Lily only laughed. The ride passed slowly, shifting between a companionable conversation with the Slytherins to a tensed silence.

* * *

><p>"Well that was…"<p>

"Awkward?" I offered. Lily laughed as she collected her trunk from the train. My things were already stacked neatly into a trolley; Olwyn hooted, looking exceptionally bored. I didn't blame the barred owl, we were two of the last people to make it off the train, so much that the other Marauders had already left with a hurried goodbye, hastened by their parents.

"I wouldn't say-"

"I would," I interrupted. "I'm definitely sitting with the Marauders on the way back to Hogwarts. I'd almost rather suffer through a conversation with- Petunia!" My older sister was pushing her way through the thinning crowd, a look of disgust on her narrow face.

"Mum and Dad say to hurry up. They're on the _normal_ platform," Petunia sneered. I stepped back, my face settling into shock as Lily stepped up to the plate, her eyes narrowing defensively.

"You're just jealous that we can do something you can't for once," she accused. I raised an eyebrow approvingly.

"Nice one, but I'd like to add that a two years' age difference doesn't make you in charge of us. Also, when we get home, I'm decorating my half of the room in Gryffindor banners and photos from school. And there's nothing you can do about it," I grinned, already pushing my belongings towards the barrier.

Petunia's eyes narrowed. I could feel her eyes, glaring daggers into my back as I passed through the brick wall easily. Mum and Dad both smiled, their eyes lighting up as first I, then Lily, and finally Petunia, came out of the barrier.

"Hello, sweetie," Mum greeted, smiling maternally as she squeezed the life out of us in a crushing bear hug. Dad somehow managed to free us, ruffling our already disobedient hair like he did when we were little.

"How was school, girls?" he smiled, either ignoring or not noticing the scowl adorning Petunia's face. I grinned, probably a little bit too happy at Petunia's expense.

"It was absolutely brilliant!" I gushed, only slightly overplaying the emotion. Petunia's scowl deepened. "I can't believe that the year's already over. I can't wait to go back in September. Gryffindor is definitely the best house of the four," I continued, droning on and on. Lily commented here and there, informing our parents of just how much trouble I had gotten into, both on my own and with my friends. I refrained from correcting her on the minor details, loyal to our Magical Mischief Maker and Rulebreaker Code. Unfortunately, that code also forbid me from gossiping about the more successful pranks we had pulled. Anonymity could be a blessing, even if it meant that the victims couldn't prove anything.

The code aside, the day passed quickly, much faster than the train ride spent in the company of the Slytherins. Petunia actually made an effort to hold her tongue whenever Lily and I made an offhanded comment on our 'school for freaks'.

* * *

><p>AN:

I'm sorry to announce that all of my stories will be on a temporary hiatus starting now. I'll post again when I can but I can't guarantee anything. My grandfather had a fatal stroke yesterday. He officially past away 9/17/11, 1:35 pm.

RIP Grandpa, missing you already X/3

;_; Susie ;_;


	11. Getting Out

I do not own Harry Potter. All I have is a Ravenclaw tie :(

* * *

><p>"Leave me alone!"<p>

"Rose, I'm sure she didn't mean it," Mum pleaded, trying to grab my arm as I threw my things into my trunk. Petunia had gone too far.

The girl herself leaned in the doorway, a victorious smirk on her face.

"No, I did," she sneered. Mum's hand, still on my shoulder, jumped off and she turned to my older sister.

"Petunia!" shouted Mum, sounding torn between surprise and disappointment. I straightened, pulling my trunk out from under my bed, already tearing open my dresser. I fished my witch robes from near the bottom, hiding them under jeans and t-shirts.

"Next time, _Tuney_, I will hex you so badly that Dursley boy will only be around long enough to scream," I threatened, strapping my wand hostler to my thigh. I threw on a jacket, ignoring Mum as she protested. I forced a smile at the front door.

"See you next summer," I said, trying to keep the venom out of my voice as Petunia smirked victoriously behind our mother. Lily stood just behind Mum, her eyes wide in protest, still confused about what had just occurred.

~Flashback~

"Why don't we go shopping or something? I feel like I haven't seen you since we got home," Lily smiled at Petunia. Our dear sister narrowed her eyes but otherwise ignored my twin as she pushed her eggs around her plate. Dad strode into the kitchen whistling, once again oblivious to the mood. Mum sighed as she spared him a glance before returning to her newspaper, reading about the newest 'accident'. Six Muggles dead in what was reported as a gas leak. The Daily Prophet mentioned the deaths in a sidenote, tipping me off that there was more than meets the eye. I owled James. It wasn't a lethal gas leak. It was one of the merry death munchers, moving against the still oblivious public.

"Did you see the news, Lil?" I asked quietly, mumbling into my bacon as I nibbled on it absently. Lily, who was sitting next to me, glance up at Mum. Lily's eyes darkened as she glanced at the headline.

"Is it-"

"Yep," I said, popping the 'p'. "Potter said his mum's furious. They almost had him and he slipped away somehow."

"Who, dear?" Dad asked absently. I bit my lip, previously unaware that the rest of the family was listening in.

"One of the bad guys," I shrugged, trying to loosen my shoulders. Mum pursed her lips, giving me the 'tell me or get grounded' face that only mothers could manage. Lily glanced in my direction before clearing her throat.

"The Ministry is having some issues with a bunch of wizards right now. They called themselves Death Eaters according to her friends," she said, glancing pointedly at me.

"His merry bunch of death munchers is the cause of all this-" I said, gesturing to the newspaper. "What does that make it? A dozen Muggles dead in the last four weeks?"

"Thirteen," Lily corrected quietly. I was about to return to my eggs when Petunia scoffed, rather obviously disguising her fear.

"I told you they were freaks!" she said, jumping to her feet and pointing at us accusingly from across the table. My fist clenched under the table. "And now they're taking it out on the normal people! This is what happens when you let them walk around! Thirteen people! And you go about eating your eggs! You're worse than I thought, the both of you!" I bit my lip, trying to be silent and let Petunia get her piece in before finishing breakfast, something that happened regularly over the past summer. "I bet you were even there when they-"

"Enough!" I shouted, jumping up and striding around the table to meet my least favorite sister. My vision was tinted red, flickering at the edges. "You have _no idea_ what the bloody hell you're talking about! Don't look at me like that! Don't look at me at all! I'm sick of this! I'm sick of you- you're hypocritical, condescending, and outrageous! You have no clue what you're talking about! The wizards that did this-" I tore the paper out of Mum's hands, "- hate Mudbloods- Muggleborns!- as much as they hate Muggles! Ya know what that means, _Tuney_?" I spat.

"Rose, she didn't know," Lily chided weakly. My eyes narrowed further.

"That's my point!" I shouted before attempting to get a grip on myself. When the red faded slowly, I sighed, smoothing my hair. A single thought went through my mind and I stalked upstairs to my room. _I'm leaving._

~End Flashback~

School started in just over a week. I needed somewhere to go. _Leaky Cauldron, maybe? No, I don't have enough money for a long stay…_

An idea came into my head, one that made me laugh and cry at the same time.

* * *

><p>AN:

Dun-dun-dun! Cliffhanger! I'm updating tomorrow, though, so don't worry too much about it. It's a really short chapter, I know, but the truth of the matter is that I don't actually have the next chapter finished yet. It happens. *yawn*

Wow, I am tired... I spent six and a half hours inside a synagogue yesterday for Yom Kippur... I'm not even Jewish. Because I'm under the impression that that might seem a little strange to 'normal' people- if they even exist- I was babysitting the younger children while their parents were in temple. Fun stuff. I was doing the same thing over Rosh Hashannah (I think that's how you spell it o.O)...

Lol, no offense to Judaism and any other religion that does it, but fasting is one of the strangest things that is a cultural norm. Wouldn't you be able to pray longer if your mind doesn't constantly keep going back to food? They're already deprived of bacon and cheeseburgers, why must they suffer more?

Long story short, religion is completely lost on me.

Hope you liked the crazy short filler-ish chapter anyway,

o.O Susie O.o


	12. At the Potter's Day One

A/N:

Another short chapter, I know. I'm a little pressed for time at the moment though, so it's the best I have. For everyone who guess correctly- it wasn't really that hard, but still- good job :)

I don't own Harry Potter or the Marauders. Only Rose is mine.

* * *

><p>"Decided to take me up on the offer, Evans?" James' said, his voice smug before looking at me closer, probably at my still red eyes. "Rose?" he asked quietly, his voice concerned as he pulled me inside.<p>

I released Olwyn from her place in her cage before turning and catching James in a bear hug. My eyes squeezed shut as I refused to cry more. Crying never solved anything.

"Rose?" James repeated uncertainly. I shook my head into his shoulder, already pulling away. I sniffed, forcing a smile.

"I'm- I'll be fine," I said, deciding not to lie to one of my closest friends. His eyes narrowed as he studied me.

"What happened?" he asked, pulling me into the living room and gently pushing me into the couch. I smiled wryly at the idea, the fierce and determined Rose Evans- going to James Potter for help.

"Petunia," I explained in a word. James' eyes flashed knowingly and he sighed.

"What'd she do this time?"

"Blamed Lily and I for the deaths of those six Muggles," I said into my hands. I could still see James narrow his eyes, his fist clenching on his lap.

"But that's-"

"I know… Where are your parents?" I asked curiously, noting how quiet the house was. James only shrugged.

"Their out. Probably off with Dumbledore or something. They don't spend much time home nowadays," he said vaguely. I knew that the Potters were advocates of the light. _It only makes sense that they are close with Dumbledore_, I reasoned with myself.

I glanced at the tissue in my hand, stained with eye liner and tears, and my lips twitched into a smile. I heard a sigh of relief from James and I smirked, not raising my eyes. I balled my fist and socked him solidly in the shoulder.

"Ow! What the bloody hell was that for?" he shouted, holding his shoulder with one hand as he stepped back. I laughed when he tripped backwards in his hurry to put space in between us. Too bad he had to trip on his cat.

His cat, a large dark tortoiseshell tom named Fang, ran forward, hissing and spitting in protest. James backed up further, now landing sideways on the armchair, nearly tipping it over as Fang jumped up to his lap, claws out.

Trying not to laugh, I gripped Fang by the scruff, gently lifting him into my arms, shushing him.

"Shh shh shh," I murmured, rocking him back and forth. His eyes began to close and he fought it, determined to glare at James. "It's not his fault he's clumsy, Fang."

"Clumsy?" James shouted, sitting up straight. I raised an eyebrow as Fang's fur bristled. James quieted ever so slightly. "Bloody cat."

I held Fang closer, smiling into his long fur as he began to purr.

"I don't know why you too don't get along," I laughed. "You're a sweetie, aren't you Fang? I know James can be obnoxious- trust me, I know- but that doesn't mean you can just go at him, claws extended, every time he does something thick," I chided the cat in my arms. He quieted down and I sat down on the couch, keeping the tom in my lap, petting him.

James stared at me with wide eyes, incredulity the main emotion.

"You're a saint, ya know that?" he said, his eyes still on the cat. I rolled my eyes, tossing my red hair over my shoulder.

"You just don't treat him right, Potter. He's not some dumb animal. You'd get along if you realized that he's probably as smart- well, smarter than you," I teased, grinning. Fang purred louder and James scowled playfully.

I was about to continue on with my teasing when I heard a loud crack. I jumped and James laughed.

"Don't worry, it's just Mum and Dad. Come on, I'll introduce you," he said, standing up and offering his hand. I rolled my eyes, gently placing Fang on the couch beside me. I took James' hand and he pulled me up.

I glanced in the hall mirror. My eyes were still a little red but it was nothing I couldn't blame on allergies.

"James?" A woman's voice called from the backyard. James grinned.

"Coming! That's my mum," he confirmed for me. I followed him further down the hall and out a screen door. An older witch stood facing the opposite direction, supporting a man. My eyes narrowed slightly- something was wrong. I could almost taste the iron in the air. _Blood?_

* * *

><p>AN:

Again, _really_ short chapter. Sorry to disappoint anyone but again, short on time. Busy busy busy and all that *sigh*

Also, don't be freaked out that Rose can smell blood. If you can't, you're lucky. I can. Add that to a completely rational fear of needles and you get one person who will never donate blood if she doesn't get a fun shaped lollipop after it. Maybe Batman's logo. Preferably watermelon.

Wow, I'm tired,

o.O Susie O.o


	13. Mrs Potter

A/N: I know it's been a really really long time since I've last updated and I sincerely apologize. I had meant to update yesterday but my teachers had other plans (I hate homework with a passion).

Anyway, to Re, I UPDATEDDD! Now I won't have to die ^.^ (For those who don't know, I might have gotten myself into an Unbreakable Vow... Long story...)

Still not owning Harry Potter, the Marauders, anything. JK Rowling is my hero, though.

* * *

><p>"Someone's been hurt," I said, frozen. James' eyes widened slightly and he ran forward to help his mother support the man. There was another loud crack and another wizard appeared, his back to us as he held his wand aloft.<p>

Glancing around us, the man pocketed his wand and turned to James and his mother.

"They shouldn't be able to track us here," he said in a deep voice as the injured man was half-carried inside.

"James, dear, go get a washcloth," James' mother ordered, flicking her wand towards the kitchen. I followed close behind, watching as a kettle filled itself with water and began spewing steam as it boiled in moments. James nodded, sprinting away as soon as the injured man was laid down on the kitchen table, the tablecloth thrown unceremoniously onto the floor.

"Shacklebolt, get the word out to Dumbledore," James' mother ordered as she began to clean the wound. I glanced over and immediately regretted it. There, digging half an inch into the man's side, was a ragged gash about eight inches long. My eyesight blurred and I blinked, trying to think past the red as James came in with a small pile of rags in his arms and a grim expression on his face.

His mother accepted the washcloths with a grimace before turning us out of the kitchen, only now seeming to notice me.

Obeying readily, James pulled me out of the kitchen and upstairs. When he released my arm, I glanced around the room, quickly determining that it was James' bedroom if the Gryffindor banners and the pictures of the Marauders were any hint. I smiled at the moving photographs as 'I' stole the snitch 'James' was playing with. The smile disappeared when I remembered what had just happened.

"Does that happen a lot?" I asked quietly. I didn't clarify but I didn't need to.

"Not really, no," James said, sighing tensely. I nodded awkwardly.

"Your mom called the other guy Shacklebolt, is he-"

"He's Rhea's dad, yeah," James interrupted me. Rhea was another first year. Unlike James and I she was a Ravenclaw. James was hoping for her to be in Gryffindor- she was a good keeper, apparently- but hoped that things would be different when her brother Kingsley was old enough to come to Hogwarts.

After a long pause, I spoke around the lump in my throat.

"It was Death Eaters, wasn't it?" James nodded, anger on his face.

And that's what brought it home for me. Up until that point, this subtle war, Death Eaters, even… Voldemort… It wasn't really. Seeing the damage in person made my blood boil.

I understood James' anger. I shared it.

We waited in James' room, not really saying anything but not needing to, until James' mother came up the stairs. She pushed the door opened gently and I held back a wince as the door slammed into the wall behind it nonetheless.

"How is he?" James asked. His mother smiled tiredly, nodding.

"He'll be just fine. I'm sorry you two had to see that," she said, mostly to me. I swallowed and shrugged, staring at the ground.

"I was bound to see it sometime," I murmured under my breath. James inhaled sharply and I smiled wryly at his mother. "I'm a mudblood. I might as well be as ready for whatever is out there as possible."

"Don't call yourself that," James said, sounding strained.

"Why not?" I demanded. "I'm proud of it. It's people like Malfoy I feel bad for. All he's got going for him is an inherited bank vault and what might have been a snappy haircut seventy years ago. And that's all he'll have, at best, when this mess is done with."

"Yeah, you're the one pulling all O's," James snickered. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Better than you, Mr. Exceeds Expectations," I retorted. "I'm Rose, by the way. Rose Evans."

"Well I didn't think you were Lily," James' mother chuckled, glancing at one of the few pictures of the Marauders showing both Lily and myself. Even in the picture Lily wouldn't look twice at James.. I smirked at James who was blushing furiously. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rose. Call me Emily," she said, smiling warmly.

I smiled back, the smile completely genuine.

"I think you kids are over-due for some dinner. How about pizza?" James' eyes lit up hungrily and I couldn't help but laugh.

A/N:

Another short chapter, I know. I had a longer one but my computer decided to be a - about it and pretty much corrupted the file. So I had to start over. An hour ago.

My brain is tired... I'm _sooooooo_ happy, though. My school is taking a four-day weekend for the teacher conference/convention thingy in Atlantic City. Not even the football game on Friday can ruin this moment.

And I aced an Italian test ^.^

And I started and finished a new fanfic yesterday. If anyone watches X-Men (specifically X-Men Origins: Wolverine) half as obsessively as I do, look up 'Intertwined'. It isn't up yet but the first chapter (out of thirteen plus _maybe _an epilogue, not sure yet) should be up in a day, maximum.

*happy day*

Ja ne,

^.^ Susie ^.^


	14. POLL RESULTS

Eep... So, instead of JANUARY 22nd, I ended up updating on FEBRUARY 22nd. Better late than never though, right?

AND THE POLL RESULTS ARE IN.

Actually, they've been in for a long time now but I've just left the poll open so if you voted late, don't sweat it. Also, if you messaged me because you had trouble with the poll and told me what story you wanted me to continue, I've already added those in so don't worry about your voice not being heard.

Results: (# of Votes)

Older, Wiser, Stronger (123)

Return of the Kiiroi Kitsune 70)

Another Shot (47)

A Survivor's Tale (37)

Role Reversal (34)

Thicker than Water (24)

Rose Lupin GOF (16)

Rose Evans (16)

Becoming Beloved (14)

Athena's Hearts (11)

In case it wasn't obvious enough, the top three choices are Older, Wiser, Stronger (Bleach), Return of the Kiiroi Kitsune (Naruto), and Another Shot (Avatar: TLA).

Congrats if the story you wanted made the cut, sorry if it didn't. Again, I can't promise any regular updates or anything definite like that but I want you to know that I will be thinking of them and trying to track down whatever elusive plot bunny inspired me to write them in the first place.

Again, sorry about the delay but you all know I'm a mess with deadlines by now.

Until next time,

Sue ^.^


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